Breakdown of Esos actores se odian.
el actor
the actor
esos
those (masculine)
se
each other (reciprocal)
odiar
to hate
Questions & Answers about Esos actores se odian.
Wait, I thought se meant "themselves." Why does it translate to "each other" here?
You are right that se is often a reflexive pronoun meaning "themselves." But in Spanish, plural reflexive pronouns like se (for "they" or "you all") and nos (for "we") are also used for reciprocal actions—things people do to each other. Since odian is plural ("they hate"), se tells us the actors are directing that hate at one another.
If se odian can mean both "they hate each other" and "they hate themselves," how do people know which one I mean?
Most of the time, context makes it obvious! In this sentence, it's highly likely two rival actors hate each other rather than themselves. If you ever need to be 100% clear that you mean "each other" and not "themselves," you can add a clarifying phrase like el uno al otro (one to another) or mutuamente (mutually) to the end of the sentence.
How would I change this sentence to say "We hate each other"?
You would swap the pronoun se for the "we" pronoun nos, and change the verb ending to match. The infinitive verb is odiar (to hate), so the "we" form becomes nos odiamos.
Learn Esos actores se odian and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free