Breakdown of Certains se voient demander un garant.
un
a / an (masculine)
demander
to ask (for) / to require / demand
certain
certain / some (certains, certaine, certaines)
se voir
to be [verb]ed (se voir + infinitive)
le garant
the guarantor (m)
Questions & Answers about Certains se voient demander un garant.
How does se voient demander translate to a passive phrase like "are asked"?
This is a special French structure used to get around a grammar rule. In English, we easily make the recipient of an action into the subject ("Some are asked"). French normally avoids doing this with verbs that take an indirect object (like demander à). To keep Certains as the main subject while showing they are receiving the action, French uses se voir (literally "to see oneself") plus an infinitive.
Could I just say Certains sont demandés un garant like in English?
No, that sounds very unnatural in French! Because you ask something to someone (demander à quelqu'un), the person being asked is an indirect object. French does not allow indirect objects to become the subject of a standard passive sentence with être. That is exactly why the se voir + infinitive structure exists.
Why is demander in the infinitive here instead of the past participle demandé?
The structure is strictly se voir + infinitive. Think of it structurally like a verb of perception: just as you say Je le vois courir (I see him run), here it's literally "Some see [someone] ask [them for] a guarantor." Even though we translate it with a passive ("asked"), the French formula requires the active infinitive demander.
Is there another, simpler way to express this without using se voir?
Yes! You can completely avoid the passive feel and use the active voice with the indefinite pronoun on (one/they). You could simply say On demande un garant à certains (They ask some for a guarantor). The se voir construction is just a more elevated, stylish way to keep the focus entirely on the people being asked.
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