There
is a construction that looks actually like the one in
chapter
8.9.
However, when looking at it carefully,
we find that it is not a reflexive verb but the se
just simply means somebody (anybody, "they"
without actually knowing who "they" are).
The two constructions look similarly, but they are different!
Se
habla de él. = They talk about
him.
direct translation: Somebody
/They talk(s) about him, se means somebody, "they"
Se
alquilan pisos = apartments are rented.
apartments for rent.
direct translation: apartments rent themselves, se is reflexive pronoun.
If the sentence has a direct object
the verb has to be in accordance with the object in
means of number. That's why it is correct to say: Se
alquilanpisos,
and actually incorrect to say Se
alquila
pisos (even though you will find loads of those
sentences in Google). It's actually the same in English:
apartments are rented.
(not apartments is
rented).
Only if the direct object is a person
it is used with the preposition a the verb doesn't need
to be in accordance:
Se
llamó al camarero.= The waiter was called.
Se llamó
a los camareros.= The waiters were called.
The weird thing about those constructions
is that they do not have a subject. That makes it a
bit difficult to understand. Nevertheless, you will! The translation
will "invent" a subject, the subject "they"
knowing that those ones are quite anonymous.
Se
habla. = It's talked. (Somebody talks
/ They talk)
En
Afghanistan se suele comer en el suelo.
= In Afghanistan
they eat on the floor.
