Use of "se" in "subase"

Question

In the sentence, "Súbase a la balanza." Why is the "se" at the end of "suba" and in other sentences containing sube, the "se" is in front ("se sube") When should I use the "se" and how do I know where to use it, in front of the verb or after?

Answer 1

This is from the verb subir (to get on, get in, climb on, climb aboard, go up etc etc) and it is a reflexive object pronoun. The se means yourself in the formal (usted) command form (positive for affirmative - in the negative, it´s a bit different)

Raise or climb (yourself).

When used in a command like this, the se is attached at the end. Súbase - Get on! When used in the indicative, it will be before. Se sube - you get on.

formal commands

Thank you for your response! What is the indicative form? When would I use "se sube" - mirchu23, Oct 14, 2013

Answer 2

Se in this case is used to indicate a reflexive action or something that you "do to yourself" rather than doing it to something other than yourself, so we use the reflexive se with reflexive verbs..

Putting the reflexive se before or after the verb is determined by the sentence structure and verb tense. In the case of imperative form, as in your sentence, the se will come after the verb. In other cases it will come before the verb, ie: No quiero que, se suba a esta balanza porque está Ud. demasiado gordo (I don´t want you get on this scale because you are too fat).

We also have structures where we can use the reflexive se either before of after the verb, ie: Estoy bien mugroso y me quiero bañar / estoy bien mugroso y quiero bañarme (I´m very dirty and I want to bathe).

What is the imperative form? I'm so confused by all of the different forms in spanish. - mirchu23, Oct 14, 2013