Language/French/Grammar/se-as-an-alternative-to-an-English-passive

se as an alternative to an English passive

se may be used with a verb as an alternative to an English passive:

• Un collant se lave en deux minutes

A pair of tights can be washed in two minutes

• Le Gamay se boit frais

Gamay (light red wine) is best drunk chilled

• L'uni se vend bien cet hiver

Plain colours are selling well this winter

This usage is restricted to special circumstances. The sentence must describe a state of affairs and not an action and the verb must not suggest through its tense that the action takes place in a limited time span.