Breakdown of El presidente puede abstenerse.
Questions & Answers about El presidente puede abstenerse.
Because abstenerse is the normal dictionary form of this verb. It is a pronominal verb, which means it is used with se.
So the structure is:
- abstenerse = to abstain / to refrain
You usually do not say abstener by itself in this meaning.
In abstenerse, se is part of the verb itself. It is not being used in the same way as a normal reflexive like lavarse (to wash oneself), where someone does something to themselves.
Here, se belongs to the verb as a fixed form:
- abstenerse de algo = to abstain from something
In your sentence, the verb is being used without adding what the person is abstaining from, because the context already makes it clear.
Because after a conjugated verb like puede, Spanish often puts the pronoun onto the infinitive.
So:
- puede abstenerse
is a very normal structure.
You can also say:
- se puede abstener
Both are grammatical, but puede abstenerse is especially common and neat in simple statements like this.