Learn Spanish (Latin America): En esta zona se alquila una casa grande.

En esta zona se alquila una casa grande.

A large house is for rent in this zone.

Breakdown of En esta zona se alquila una casa grande.

Questions & Answers about En esta zona se alquila una casa grande.

Why does the sentence use se alquila instead of just alquila?

Adding se makes this an impersonal statement. Instead of saying a specific person rents the house, se alquila translates to 'is rented' or 'is for rent'. This is the standard way to announce that something is available without mentioning exactly who is offering it.

If I wanted to say 'Large houses are for rent', how would this change?

You would change the verb to the plural form: se alquilan unas casas grandes. When using se to say something is done to an object, the verb must match that object. Since 'houses' is plural, the verb becomes alquilan.

Why is the verb placed before una casa grande?

In Spanish, it is very common to put the verb before the subject when announcing that something exists or is available. You could technically say una casa grande se alquila, but starting with the verb sounds much more natural for a sign or a public announcement.

Can I use se renta instead of se alquila?

Yes! In many parts of Latin America, the verb rentar is just as common as, or even more common than, alquilar. It is very normal to see signs on buildings that simply say Se renta.