Se vs Le in Spanish: Simple Guide with Examples

“In Spanish, we have two ways to conjugate verbs, which is why we have ‘Le’ verbs. Verbs like Gustar and ‘Se’ verbs.”

‘Le’ verbs in Spanish are conjugated using indirect object pronouns. For example, with Gustar: A mí me gusta (I like), A ti te gusta (You like), A él le gusta (He likes), A nosotros nos gusta (We like), A vosotros os gusta (You all like), A ellos les gusta (They like). These verbs are called ‘affective’ because the action affects the person, not the other way around, which is why indirect object pronouns are always used.

📘 LE Verbs (like gustar)

👉 These verbs use indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les).
The verb is usually in 3rd person singular or plural depending on the object.

Structure:
A + person + pronoun + verb

• A mí me interesa la música. → Music interests me.
• A ti te gusta bailar. → You like dancing.
• A ella le preocupa el examen. → She is worried about the test.

Common LE verbs:

• interesar (to interest)
• gustar (to like)
• preocupar (to worry)
• encantar (to love)
• molestar (to bother)
• caer bien/mal (to like/dislike someone)
• dar miedo (to scare)
• poner triste (to make sad)
• importar (to matter)

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📘 SE Verbs (Reflexive verbs)

👉 These verbs use reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se).
Here, the subject and object are the same — the action “comes back” to the subject.

Structure:
Subject + reflexive pronoun + verb

• Yo me alegro de tu éxito. → I’m happy about your success.
• Tú te enamoras fácilmente. → You fall in love easily.
• Nosotros nos divertimos en la fiesta. → We had fun at the party.

Common SE verbs:

• alegrarse (to be glad)
• preocuparse (to worry)
• divertirse (to have fun)
• enamorarse (to fall in love)
• sentirse (to feel)
• acordarse (to remember)
• quejarse (to complain)
• quedarse (to stay)
• aburrirse (to get bored)
• enfadarse (to get angry)

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👨‍🏫 Teacher’s Advice

To really master this topic:

1. Memorize the most common verbs in each group (LE verbs like gustar vs. SE reflexive verbs).
2. Practice conjugating them in order (yo, tú, él/ella, nosotros, vosotros, ellos/ellas) so that the reflexive pronouns and forms become automatic.
3. Create your own short sentences — repetition will help you remember faster.

Practice Drill – LE vs SE Verbs

Part A – LE Verbs (use me, te, le, nos, os, les + verb in 3rd person)

1. A mí __________ (encantar) el chocolate.
2. A nosotros __________ (interesar) las películas en español.
3. ¿A ti __________ (molestar) la música fuerte?
4. A ella __________ (preocupar) los exámenes.
5. A ellos __________ (gustar) viajar a Nicaragua.

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Part B – SE Verbs (use me, te, se, nos, os, se + verb conjugated normally)

6. Yo __________ (alegrarse) cuando visito a mis amigos.
7. Tú __________ (enfadarse) fácilmente.
8. Nosotros __________ (divertirse) en la fiesta.
9. Ellos __________ (sentirse) cansados después de estudiar.
10. ¿Vosotros __________ (acordarse) de hacer la tarea?

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✅ Suggested Answers (for teacher use)

1. me encanta → I love chocolate.
2. nos interesan → We are interested in movies in Spanish.
3. te molesta → Does loud music bother you?
4. le preocupa → She is worried about the exams.
5. les gusta → They like traveling to Nicaragua.
6. me alegro → I’m glad when I visit my friends.
7. te enfadas → You get angry easily.
8. nos divertimos → We had fun at the party.
9. se sienten → They feel tired after studying.
10. os acordáis → Do you remember to do the homework?

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