- Master the accidental se structure - Use se + indirect object pronoun + verb (3rd person)
- Express unplanned events - Communicate accidents without assigning blame
- Use common verbs - Learn caer, olvidar, romper, perder, quemar, acabar with accidental se
- Understand the "victim" perspective - Show things happen TO you, not BY you
- Know when to use it - Distinguish between intentional actions and accidents
- Apply proper agreement - Match verb with the thing that fell/broke/got lost (not the person)
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SpecialUpper intermediate
Accidental se: se me cayó, se te olvidó (Unplanned Events)
Express unintentional actions and accidents in Spanish
What You'll Learn
Overview
The accidental se (se accidental or se involuntario) is used to express unplanned or accidental events. It removes blame from the person and presents them as the "victim" of circumstances, emphasising that something happened to them rather than by them.
The Core Pattern
se + indirect object pronoun + verb (3rd person) + thing
Se me cayó el vaso
The glass fell (on me) / I dropped the glass (literally: "The glass fell to me")
Why Use Accidental Se?
- Removes blame - Presents you as the victim, not the perpetrator
- Softens responsibility - "It happened to me" vs "I did it"
- Sounds natural - Native speakers use this constantly for accidents
- Shows empathy - Implies it wasn't your fault or was beyond your control
Sounds accusatory:
Rompí el plato
I broke the plate
Removes blame:
Se me rompió el plato
The plate broke (on me)
Structure & Formation
The Three Components
1. Se (Always present)
The word "se" introduces the construction and signals an unplanned event.
2. Indirect Object Pronoun (The "victim")
| Pronoun | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| me | to/for me | Se me cayó |
| te | to/for you (informal) | Se te olvidó |
| le | to/for him/her/you (formal) | Se le rompió |
| nos | to/for us | Se nos perdió |
| os | to/for you all (Spain) | Se os acabó |
| les | to/for them/you all | Se les quemó |
3. Verb (3rd person - agrees with the THING, not the person)
The verb is conjugated based on what fell/broke/got lost (singular or plural):
Se me cayó el vaso
Singular thing → cayó
Se me cayeron los vasos
Plural things → cayeron
Common Verbs with Accidental Se
caer (to fall)
Se me cayó el teléfono
I dropped my phone
olvidar (to forget)
Se te olvidaron las llaves
You forgot your keys
romper (to break)
Se le rompió la taza
His/Her cup broke
perder (to lose)
Se nos perdió el perro
We lost our dog
quemar (to burn)
Se me quemó la comida
I burnt the food
acabar (to run out)
Se nos acabó la leche
We ran out of milk
ocurrir (to occur to)
Se me ocurrió una idea
An idea occurred to me
escapar (to escape/slip away)
Se le escapó el nombre
The name slipped his/her mind
Verb Agreement: The Thing Controls the Verb
Critical Rule
The verb agrees with the thing that fell/broke/got lost, NOT with the person (the indirect object pronoun). The person is just the "victim" - the thing is the grammatical subject.
| Thing (Subject) | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | Se me cayó la taza | I dropped the cup |
| Plural | Se me cayeron las tazas | I dropped the cups |
| Singular | Se te olvidó el libro | You forgot the book |
| Plural | Se te olvidaron los libros | You forgot the books |
Examples
Caer (to fall/drop)
se me
Se me cayó el teléfono
I dropped my phone
se te
Se te cayó la cartera
You dropped your wallet
se le
Se le cayeron los huevos
He/She dropped the eggs
se nos
Se nos cayó el portátil
We dropped the laptop
Olvidar (to forget)
se me
Se me olvidó tu cumpleaños
I forgot your birthday
se te
Se te olvidaron las llaves
You forgot your keys
se le
Se le olvidó la reunión
He/She forgot the meeting
se nos
Se nos olvidó dónde aparcamos
We forgot where we parked
Romper (to break)
se me
Se me rompió la pantalla
I broke my screen
se te
Se te rompió el plato
You broke the plate
se le
Se le rompió la taza
His/Her cup broke
se nos
Se nos rompió la ventana
Our window broke
Acabar (to run out)
se me
Se me acabó la batería
My battery died
se te
Se te acabó la paciencia
You ran out of patience
se le
Se le acabó el dinero
He/She ran out of money
se nos
Se nos acabó la gasolina
We ran out of petrol
Perder (to lose)
se me
Se me perdió el pasaporte
I lost my passport
se te
Se te perdieron los documentos
You lost the documents
se le
Se le perdió el perro
He/She lost the dog
se nos
Se nos perdieron las llaves
We lost the keys
Quemar (to burn)
se me
Se me quemó la cena
I burnt dinner
se te
Se te quemó el arroz
You burnt the rice
se le
Se le quemó la comida
His/Her food burnt
se nos
Se nos quemaron las tostadas
Our toast burnt
Common Mistakes
Most Common Accidental Se Mistakes
Wrong: Me cayó el vaso
Correct: Se me cayó el vaso
The 'se' is mandatory - it signals the accidental construction
Wrong: Me se cayó el vaso
Correct: Se me cayó el vaso
'Se' always comes BEFORE the indirect object pronoun (me, te, le)
Wrong: Se me cayeron el vaso
Correct: Se me cayó el vaso
Verb agrees with the THING (vaso = singular), not the person
Wrong: Se lo cayó el libro
Correct: Se le cayó el libro
Use INDIRECT object pronouns (le), not direct object pronouns (lo)
Accidental Se vs Reflexive Verbs
Wrong (reflexive)
Me caí el vaso
"Me caí" = I fell down (myself)
Correct (accidental)
Se me cayó el vaso
The glass fell (happened to me)
Only Use for Unplanned Events
Wrong (intentional action)
Se me comí el pastel
Sounds like avoiding blame
Correct (intentional)
Me comí el pastel
I ate the cake (on purpose)
Quick Test
1. How do you say 'I dropped the glass' (accident)?
AMe cayó el vaso
BSe me cayó el vaso
CMe caí el vaso
DSe me caí el vaso
2. 'You (informal) forgot your books' - choose the correct form:
ASe te olvidó los libros
BSe te olvidaste los libros
CSe te olvidaron los libros
DTe se olvidaron los libros
3. 'The food burnt (on us)' - which is correct?
ASe nos quemó la comida
BNos se quemó la comida
CSe nos quemamos la comida
DNos quemó la comida
4. 'We lost the keys' - which is correct?
ASe nos perdió las llaves
BNos se perdieron las llaves
CSe nos perdieron las llaves
DSe nos perdimos las llaves
5. 'His/Her cup broke' - choose the right option:
ASe lo rompió la taza
BLe se rompió la taza
CSe le rompió la taza
DSe le rompieron la taza
6. 'An idea occurred to me' - select the correct form:
AMe se ocurrió una idea
BSe me ocurrió una idea
CSe me ocurrieron una idea
DMe ocurrió una idea
7. Which shows the person as the 'victim' of circumstances?
AQuemé la comida (I burnt the food)
BSe me quemó la comida (The food burnt on me)
CEstoy quemando la comida (I'm burning the food)
DHe quemado la comida (I have burnt the food)
8. 'They ran out of battery' - which is correct?
ASe les acabó la batería
BLes se acabó la batería
CSe les acabaron la batería
DSe los acabó la batería