Breakdown of Siempre se han amado.
siempre
always
haber
(auxiliary) have
amar
to love
se
each other (reciprocal)
Questions & Answers about Siempre se han amado.
How do we know se means "each other" here instead of "themselves"?
The pronoun se can mean "themselves," but with plural verbs, it is also used for reciprocal actions meaning "each other." Since loving is something people do to one another, "each other" is the most natural meaning here. If you ever need to avoid confusion, you can add el uno al otro (to each other) to the sentence.
Why use han amado instead of the regular past or present tense?
Han amado is the present perfect tense, meaning "have loved." It is built using the helper verb haber (conjugated here as han) and the past participle amado. Just like in English, this tense is perfect for an action that started in the past and continues right up into the present.
Can I attach se to the end of the verb instead?
No. While pronouns like se can sometimes attach to the end of infinitives or gerunds, they cannot attach to a past participle like amado. In compound tenses like the present perfect, the pronoun must always go right before the conjugated helper verb (han).
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