Word/particle "se" has several meaning and uses in Portuguese. Actually, "se" is grammaticaly classified as a reflexive pronoun and its position may vary depending on the use of precedent words.. In English, a reflexive pronoun is always placed after the verb: To cut himself (Cortar-se), Imagined herself (Ela imaginou-se) and so on. However, in Portuguese there are three positions of the "se" particle. Próclise (pronoun placed before the verb): Nada se compara a uma boa refeição. Nothing compares a good meal. Particle "se" is placed before to the verb "Comparar". Obviously, there are many grammar rules about "se" and different cases to be observed and followed. You can Google the following terms to have a wider view on its usage: "próclise" "ênclise" "mesóclise" If you can't type portuguese accents characters on your keyboard, you can type those terms without accents. I hope I may be useful to you. Thank you.