Ce livre se vend bien: when French se has a passive meaning
This book sells well, this fabric washes easily: read the French pronominal passive, match the verb to its subject and compare it with a completed event.
In short
In Ce livre se vend bien, the book is what people buy: “This book sells well.” This use of se often describes a general property or usual process. The verb agrees with the thing being described: Ces livres se vendent bien.
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What happens to these things?
Four everyday descriptions
Find:
The fabric is easy to wash; the glasses are easy to clean. In these descriptions, the object receives the action. English sometimes uses an active-looking verb too: “It sells well”, “It washes easily”.
What does ça se vend mean?
| French | English | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Nora se lave. | Nora washes herself. | Nora performs the action on herself. |
| Ce tissu se lave à la main. | This fabric is washed by hand. | A usual washing method. |
| Nora lave ce tissu. | Nora washes this fabric. | The person doing the washing is named. |
| Ce tissu a été lavé hier. | This fabric was washed yesterday. | One completed washing event. |
Un exemplaire a été vendu hier. Ce livre se vend bien depuis sa sortie.
A copy was sold yesterday. This book has been selling well since its release.
The first sentence counts one sale. The second describes the title’s sales over a period. Words such as bien, facilement and à la main often help you recognise the general description.
How does the passive se agree?
| One thing | Several things |
|---|---|
| Ce livre se vend bien. | Ces livres se vendent bien. |
| Cette porte s’ouvre facilement. | Ces portes s’ouvrent facilement. |
| Cette règle s’explique simplement. | Ces règles s’expliquent simplement. |
Se becomes s’ before a vowel: s’ouvre, s’explique. It stays unchanged for singular and plural third-person subjects; the verb ending changes. A rule can also have this pattern: Cette règle s’explique simplement means the rule is easy to explain.