Impersonal Verbs in the Present Tense in Spanish

This section explains Impersonal Verbs in the Present Tense in Spanish. In Spanish, impersonal verbs are verbs that do not refer to any specific subject. They are used to describe actions or states that are general or unspecified. These verbs are most commonly used in third person singular (él/ella/usted) and are often used to express weather, time, or general statements.

What are Impersonal Verbs?

Impersonal verbs do not require a subject (like "I" or "we" in English). In Spanish, these verbs are typically used with the pronoun ‘se’ or are conjugated in the third person singular form (with the verb in singular even though it might refer to general subjects or concepts).

Some common impersonal verbs in Spanish include those used to talk about weather, time, and general statements.

Common Impersonal Verbs in Spanish

2.1 Hacer (to make, to do – used for weather)

This verb is frequently used in expressions related to weather, such as “hace frío” (it’s cold) or “hace calor” (it’s hot).

• Hace frío (It’s cold)
• Hace calor (It’s hot)
• Hace buen tiempo (The weather is good)
• Hace mal tiempo (The weather is bad)

Examples:

• Hace mucho calor en verano (It’s very hot in summer)
• Hace sol hoy (It’s sunny today)

Estar (to be – used for weather expressions)

Although ‘estar’ is typically a regular verb for describing conditions, it is used in impersonal expressions for the weather.

• Está lloviendo (It’s raining)
• Está nevando (It’s snowing)
• Está nublado (It’s cloudy)
• Está despejado (It’s clear/bright)

Examples:

• Está lloviendo mucho (It’s raining a lot)
• Está nublado en la mañana (It’s cloudy in the morning)

Ser (to be – used for time and general statements)

‘Ser’ is another verb that can be used impersonally, especially when talking about time and general conditions.

• Es temprano (It’s early)
• Es tarde (It’s late)
• Es hora de comer (It’s time to eat)

Examples:

• Es importante estudiar todos los días (It’s important to study every day)
• Es fácil aprender español (It’s easy to learn Spanish)

Llover (to rain)

Llover is an impersonal verb that is always conjugated in the third person singular and is used to describe the act of rain.

• Llueve (It’s raining)

Example:

• Llueve mucho en invierno (It rains a lot in winter)

Nevar (to snow)

Like ‘llover’, ‘nevar’ is also used in the third person singular for impersonal expressions and refers to snow.

• Nieva (It’s snowing)

Example:

• Nieva en las montañas (It’s snowing in the mountains)

Using Impersonal Verbs with Weather Expressions

Weather expressions are the most common example of impersonal verbs in Spanish. They often begin with hace, está, or es followed by a condition or event.

Examples:

• Hace frío en invierno (It’s cold in winter)
• Está nevando mucho (It’s snowing a lot)
• Hace sol y calor hoy (It’s sunny and hot today)
• Es la una (It’s one o'clock)

These types of expressions are very common in daily Spanish conversations and can help you describe the environment, weather, or general states.

General Impersonal Expressions

Con ‘Se’ (Reflexive Impersonal Verbs)

Some verbs are used with the reflexive pronoun ‘se’ to form impersonal expressions. These are often used for general actions or events where the subject is unspecified.

• Se dice (It is said)
• Se sabe (It is known)
• Se cree (It is believed)

Examples:

• Se vive bien en esta ciudad (One lives well in this city)
• Se habla español en muchos países (Spanish is spoken in many countries)
• Se piensa que la película es buena (It is thought that the movie is good)

Examples of Impersonal Verbs in Sentences

Foundation Tier Examples:

• Hace frío en diciembre (It’s cold in December)
• Está lloviendo ahora (It’s raining now)
• Es muy tarde (It’s very late)
• Llueve mucho en el otoño (It rains a lot in autumn)

Higher Tier Examples:

• Hace calor durante el verano, pero en el otoño hace frío (It’s hot during the summer, but in autumn, it’s cold)
• Está nevando y no podemos salir de casa (It’s snowing and we can’t leave the house)
• Es necesario estudiar para aprobar los exámenes (It’s necessary to study to pass the exams)
• Se cree que el cambio climático es un problema serio (It is believed that climate change is a serious problem)

Summary of Common Impersonal Verbs

Conclusion

Impersonal verbs in Spanish are essential for expressing general statements, particularly in relation to weather, time, and ongoing actions. They are conjugated in the third person singular and are used to describe situations that do not have a specific subject. By practising these verbs and their use in weather and general expressions, you will become more fluent in everyday Spanish conversations.