Log inSign up

Los mensajes se anuncian por el altavoz.

Los mensajes se anuncian por el altavoz.
The messages are announced over the loudspeaker.
From Lesson 377:Reflexive passive (se)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Los mensajes se anuncian por el altavoz.

Why is it se anuncian (plural) and not se anuncia (singular) if the person announcing them is unknown?
In the reflexive passive (pasiva refleja), the thing being acted upon actually becomes the grammatical subject of the sentence. Because los mensajes is plural, the verb must also be plural (anuncian) to match it. If it were just one message, it would be el mensaje se anuncia.
Is this different from the normal passive voice, like son anunciados?
Yes. You could grammatically say Los mensajes son anunciados por el altavoz, which is the true passive voice. However, in Spanish, the reflexive passive with se is heavily preferred in everyday speech when the focus is on the action and the person doing it isn't specified.
Wait, doesn't se anuncian mean "they announce themselves"? How do we tell the difference?
Grammatically, it looks exactly the same as a reflexive verb! You just have to use common sense. Since messages are inanimate and can't literally announce themselves, native speakers automatically understand this as a passive construction (the messages are announced).
Could the word order be reversed to Se anuncian los mensajes?
Absolutely. In fact, putting the subject after the verb (Se anuncian los mensajes...) is the most traditional and common word order for the pasiva refleja. Putting Los mensajes at the front, as in this sentence, is also perfectly natural and just puts a little more emphasis on the messages themselves as the topic.
Why do we use por here instead of en or sobre for "over the loudspeaker"?
When talking about the medium or means through which something is communicated or transported, Spanish uses por. Just like you say por teléfono (by phone), por radio (on the radio), or por correo (by mail), you use por el altavoz to mean "over/through the loudspeaker."

Learn Los mensajes se anuncian por el altavoz 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
Start learning Spanish →