- 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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Accidental se: se me cayó, se te olvidó (Unplanned Events)
What You'll Learn
Overview / Usage
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
How Accidental Se Works
The Three Components
1. Se (Always present)
The word "se" introduces the construction and signals an unplanned event.
2. Indirect Object Pronoun (The "victim")
| 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
Real-World Examples
🍳 In the Kitchen
Se me quemó la cena
I burnt dinner
Se nos acabó la sal
We ran out of salt
Se le cayeron los huevos
He/She dropped the eggs
Se te rompió el plato
You broke the plate
📱 With Technology
Se me rompió la pantalla del móvil
I broke my phone screen
Se te olvidó cargar el portátil
You forgot to charge your laptop
Se le acabó la batería
His/Her battery died
Se nos cayó el portátil
We dropped the laptop
🧠 With Memory
Se me olvidó tu cumpleaños
I forgot your birthday
Se nos escapó el nombre del restaurante
The restaurant name slipped our mind
Se me ocurrió una solución
A solution occurred to me
Se te olvidaron las direcciones
You forgot the directions
🏠 Around the House
Se nos perdieron las llaves del coche
We lost the car keys
Se le rompió la ventana
His/Her window broke
Se me cayó el jarrón
I dropped the vase
Se les acabó el papel higiénico
They ran out of toilet paper
💼 At Work/School
Se me olvidó la reunión
I forgot the meeting
Se nos perdieron los documentos
We lost the documents
Se le acabó la tinta de la impresora
The printer ran out of ink
Se me cayó el café en el teclado
I spilled coffee on the keyboard
✈️ Travel/Transportation
Se me perdió el pasaporte
I lost my passport
Se nos acabó la gasolina
We ran out of petrol
Se le escapó el tren
He/She missed the train
Se me olvidó el equipaje
I forgot my luggage
💰 Shopping/Money
Se me olvidó la cartera
I forgot my wallet
Se nos acabó el dinero
We ran out of money
Se le cayó el cambio
He/She dropped the change
Se me rompió la tarjeta
My card broke
🚗 Driving
Se me pinchó una rueda
I got a flat tyre
Se nos olvidó dónde aparcamos
We forgot where we parked
Se le acabó el líquido de frenos
His/Her brake fluid ran out
Se me cayeron las gafas de sol
I dropped my sunglasses
🌳 Outdoors/Pets
Se me escapó el perro
My dog got away
Se nos perdió el camino
We lost our way
Se le murieron las plantas
His/Her plants died
Se me cayó el móvil al agua
I dropped my phone in water
Gotchas / Common Mistakes
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Forgetting 'se' at the beginning
❌ Wrong: Me cayó el vaso
✅ Right: Se me cayó el vaso
❌ Wrong word order
❌ Wrong: Me se cayó el vaso
✅ Right: Se me cayó el vaso
❌ Making verb agree with the person instead of the thing
❌ Wrong: Se me cayeron el vaso (person is plural, so verb is plural)
✅ Right: Se me cayó el vaso (vaso is singular, so verb is singular)
❌ Using wrong indirect object pronoun
❌ Wrong: Se lo cayó el libro (using direct object pronoun 'lo')
✅ Right: Se le cayó el libro (using indirect object pronoun 'le')
❌ Confusing with reflexive verbs
❌ Wrong: Me caí el vaso (like a reflexive verb)
✅ Right: Se me cayó el vaso (accidental construction)
❌ Using for intentional actions
❌ Wrong: Se me comí el pastel (I ate the cake - intentional)
✅ Right: Me comí el pastel (just use normal past tense)
Quick Test / Mini Quiz
1
💧 How do you say 'I dropped the glass' (accident)?
2
📚 'You (informal) forgot your books' - choose the correct form:
3
🔥 'The food burnt (on us)' - which is correct?
4
🔑 'We lost the keys' - which is correct?
5
☕ 'His/Her cup broke' - choose the right option:
6
💡 'An idea occurred to me' - select the correct form:
7
🍛 Which shows the person as the 'victim' of circumstances?
8
📱 'They ran out of battery' - which is correct?
Useful Resources
Coming soon...