"Muito se tem pensado sobre essas regiões."

Translation: There has been much thought about those regions.

[carolynshoe]

So this is a passive construction? What's the function of "se" here?

[J.Peezy]

From what I know about Spanish, this is a passive construction, but it hasn't been introduced yet.

[r_i_l_e_y]

I also am wondering about the "se"?

[peduzzi]

I'm native and I don't really remember what rule dictates the function of "se" in this sentence. I think that "se" compensates the absence of a subject... But this is a very common expression in Portuguese. Other examples, for clarify this:

"A lot has been done for a safer life" (Muito se tem feito para uma vida mais segura)
"A lot has been said about technology" (Muito se tem falado sobre tecnologia)

[Danmoller]

Thinking about it, looks like it replaces "tem sido".

Muito tem sido pensado = muito se tem pensado

Muito tem sido falado = muito se tem falado

In both cases, the subject is "muito", and it seems to be another form of building passive voice sentences.

[antlane]

I think muito is not the subject, it is an adverb. We call this se "índice da indeterminação do sujeito: Eles falam muito sobre estas regiões ( subject: eles). Falam muito sobre estas regiões (s: undetermined); Fala-se muito sobre estas regiões: subj. und.) Tem-se falado muito: subj. und. ( cf. Falam mal de você por aí > Fala-se mal de você > Muito se tem falado de você...Quem tem falado muito?) Thinking about, I now see: it is not passive voice, tem falado has a unknown subject, active)

[Danmoller]

Hmmm...It confuses me....

When I think about this alternative sentence, I actually believe it's a subject:

• Fala-se muito desta região
• Falam-se muitas coisas desta região

I think it's a case of grammar ambiguity... (does that exist?)

[Danmoller]

Muito is an adverb. No way it could get an article.

And if it were a noun, "the lot"?

[standelf]

@Danmoller (edited out since I couldn't reply directly)

[standelf]

You've piqued my curiosity. But, wouldn't it be: "Fala-se o muito desta região" if "muito" were used as a noun?

@Danmoller edited (since I couldn't reply directly): If muito is an adverb (which it is here, modifying the verb falar) then it can't be the subject.

[pnehls]

thanks for the examples, I guess we'll just have to remember it, there's really no easy to figure the above sentence out without some help. Thank you!

[r_i_l_e_y]

Thanks!

[duofus]

What is the exact translation of "tem sido" ?
I do not remember having learned it .

[Danmoller]

Have been, but in a continous/repeated sense.

[KTKee-EnglishEng]

I listened about a dozen times to that audio, thinking what the hell is hajoys?

[emeyr]

This is a very awkward English sentence. I think that "there" functions as the dummy subject and the real subject is "those regions".

Those regions have been much discussed/much talked about. (in less stilted English): Those regions have been discussed a lot.

[reno300]

So no rule for 'se' here?