Passive Reflexive with Modals
When describing procedures or rules where the specific person doing the action isn't important, Spanish frequently uses the passive se.
To say that something "can be," "must be," or "is usually" done, you can combine se with a modal verb (such as poder, deber, or soler) and an infinitive.
Crucially, the modal verb must agree with the noun receiving the action. When you are talking about plural nouns—like several microorganisms or cells in a lab—the modal verb must be in its plural form.
| In this sample, some rare microorganisms can be distinguished. | En esta muestra se pueden distinguir unos microorganismos raros. |
| Those minuscule cells must be investigated immediately. | Esas células minúsculas se deben investigar inmediatamente. |
Word Order and Negation
The subject (the noun receiving the action) can be placed either before or after the verb phrase.
| Normally, the cultures are usually checked every two days. | Normalmente, los cultivos se suelen revisar cada dos días. |
To make these passive sentences negative, simply place no immediately before se.
| The membranes of the cells cannot be observed here. | Aquí no se pueden observar las membranas de las células. |
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