"Se le han": What does it mean?

Question

I was trying to translate "when you do a crime, you are sent to jail" (I'm not sure how to do the passive "you are sent"—if you could help me out with that as well, I'd be grateful) and the translator gave me "se le han enviado a la carcél". My mind isn't up to working out what "se le han" means. Could someone explain it to me?

Welcome to the forum. Homework is not a word you want to put in your post on this site but it looks like you've at least made an attempt. My input is below. - Yeser007, Jan 23, 2010

Good point. Fortunately, it's not the kind of homework where using a translator matters—I've got a Spanish character in a creative writing paper—but thanks for the heads up. - Soninmyeyes, Jan 23, 2010

Answer 1

HI soni, all questions are welcome, homework too, as long as they have an attempt

good try, this is the correct version:

"when you do a crime, you are sent to jail"

Cuando cometes un crimen, te mandan a prisión/se te envia a prisión

Answer 2

Cuando se hace un deilito se va a la carcel. When you commit a crime you go to jail. This is in passive voice.

I'd accept yours too if I could... pity there isn't that option. - Soninmyeyes, Jan 23, 2010

getting my vote;) - 00494d19, Jan 24, 2010

Should be va not van I will correct it. - kenwilliams, Jan 25, 2010

Answer 3

"se le han enviado a la carcél"

They have sent him (or whomever the "le" refers to) to jail.

Answer 4

Cuando se hace un deilito se van a la carcel.

Why is it 3rd person singular at first, and then 3rd person plural?

Is Cuando se hace un deilito, se va a la carcel wrong?

Gustav, se van, the plural, should NOT be used.

YOur second sentence is the correct choice.

Cuando se comete un delito, se va a la carcel.

"Se le han mandado a la cárcel"

this sentence is not c orrect either. It must read:

se le/les ha mandado.

Answer 5

When learning and teaching Spanish grammar, something you learn is that the passive is used more frequently in English than in Spanish. So, it's your call, depending on what the homework is, and sometimes you can get away with a direct translation, "esta mandado a la carcel". But this is not the best way to translate. What you do in Spanish, is use "se", which conveys an unknown agent, like our "they" in English. So it sounds more like an active agent. Someone does something to someone else, not someone received an action done by someone else. "Se le han mandado a la cárcel", means, "They have sent him/her/or you formal to jail". Your verb tense is the problem. "Se le mandan a la cárcel" is the present tense in Spanish, since you have used the present tense in English. This is the best translation to convey the same meaning. Previously, it was considered correct to make the agent 3rd person singular "Se le manda a la carcel" but with the "they" so commonly used in English today, "mandan" instead of "manda" is more commonly used. When you are first learning Spanish, you don't usually learn, "he, has, ha, hemos, han", which are, "I have, you have, he/she has, we have, they have". This tense implies something has been done in the past. Not the same as what you want: when something is done, a consequence happens. This is the present indicative. Statements of present tense facts and reality

Answer 6

Cuando se hace un deilito se van a la carcel.

Why is it 3rd person singular at first, and then 3rd person plural?

Is Cuando se hace un deilito, se va a la carcel wrong?

I think youre right... - wallpaper, Jan 24, 2010

Answer 7

I believe it's "You have been"