The si passivante is a very common way to express the passive voiceNo definition set for passive voiceLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in Italian, as in In Italia si mangia molta pasta(In Italy people eat a lot of pasta). Unlike the passive voice construction, which is formed by the verb essere(to be)+ past participleNo definition set for past participleLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., the si passivante uses particle si followed by a conjugated verb.
In this post, we’ll take you through what the si passivante is, when to use it, and how to form it. Ready to learn more? We’ll give you the inside scoop next!
What is the ‘si passivante’?
The si passivante is a common way to express the passive voice in Italian. It’s especially convenient for explaining rules and making general statements where an agent (do-er) is not mentioned. For example:
Si richiede licenza superiore.
A high school degree is needed.
Il pane si compra al panificio.
Bread is bought in a bakery.
The si passivante is only used when the agent is implied and is implied to be human. It is also only used with verbs in the third personNo definition set for third personLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.singularNo definition set for singularLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or pluralNo definition set for pluralLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.: easy-peasy, no?
The si passivante does not have a real equivalent in English, so let’s see an example:
Come si apre questa finestra?
How does this window open?
How is opened the window?
The sentence above implies that whoever opens the window (the agent) will be a person, so we use the si passivante.
To use the si passivante, the verb must be transitive (a verb that takes a direct objectNo definition set for direct objectLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.).
active verbdirect objectsi passivante
Compro la frutta al mercato. → La frutta si compra al mercato.
I buy fruit at the market. → Fruit is bought at the market.
How to form the ‘si passivante’?
Here are the rules for forming the si passivante in Italian:
For simple tenses (present, imperfect, future, etc.) no auxiliary is needed
Qui si mangia cibo piccante.
Spicy food (singular) is eaten here.
Watches (plural) are fixed here.
For compound tenses (passato prossimo, etc.)
essere(to be)
in the 3rd personNo definition set for 3rd personLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
A treasure (singular) was found.
Stars (plural) were seen.
Remember that verbs always agreeNo definition set for agreeLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. with the subject so, if the subjectNo definition set for subjectLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. is singular, conjugate the verb in the third person singular and, if the subject is plural, conjugate in the third person plural.
The si passivante is used only in the lui/lei(she/he) and loro(they) form. Thus, it resembles the reflexive pronounNo definition set for reflexive pronounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. si, and it may cause some confusion. The following example uses si as a reflexive pronoun. Notice that there is no direct object after the verb and the subject is an agent:
Remember that the verb needs to be transitive and have a direct object in the active voice in order to use si passivante. If the verb is intransitive, or if it does not have a direct object, you cannot use it!
The ‘si passivante’ vs. the passive voice
The main difference between the si passivante and the passive voice, is in the status of the agent (the do-er) of the verb.
Notice that, in compound tenses, the passive voice and the si passivante look very similar with the exception of si:
I libri si sono comprati online. Books have been bought online. | I libri sono comprati online (dagli studenti). Books have been bought online (by the students). |
So what is the difference? In the passive voice, you have the option of mentioning the agent (dagli studenti), but with si passivante you don’t. The agent is implied, meaning bought by “one/all/everyone.”
However, another difference between the si passivante and the passive is that, in the si passivante, there is more flexibility of word order. The subject can go before (like in the example), or after the verb:
Si sono mangiate le mele.
To sum up
The si passivante is an alternative to the passive voiceNo definition set for passive voiceLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. that is very commonly used in Italian. Let’s recap its main points:
It's used for explaining rules and general information
It requires the pronoun si, and
It’s only used with transitive verbs in the third person singular and plural
Ready to get practicing with the si passivante? Let’s go!
Downloadable Resources
Elevate your language-learning journey to new heights with the following downloadable resources.
To embark on your next language adventure, join Mango on social!