Only transitive verbsNo definition set for transitive verbsLorem 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. can be used in the passive voice, because the direct object of the active voice is what will become the subject of the passive sentence.
Spanish Articles
How to use the passive voice in Spanish?
By: Mango Languages Fri Aug 30 2024
Active voice sentences have a verbNo definition set for verbLorem 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 subject that performs the action of the verb, and, sometimes, 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. that is affected by the action of the verb. However, in the passive voice, the focus is shifted away from the “doer,” and the direct object (of the active sentence) now becomes the subject (of the passive sentence). The original subject moves after the verb and becomes the object of por ("by"), and the verb becomes a past participle introduced by the verb ser ("to be"):
Active
⇩
Juan escribió esta novela.
Juan wrote this novel.
→
Passive
⇩
Esta novela fue escrita por Juan.
This novel was written by Juan.
The passive voice is used much more often in English than in Spanish. Spanish prefers the use of active sentences or the Spanish passive se instead.
Are you ready to learn more about how to form the passive voice? Do you want to know when to use the passive voice? Keep on reading to find answers to these questions.
Table of Contents
How do you form the passive voice in Spanish?
I’m sure most of the sentences you have learned and uttered in Spanish have used the active voice. This means that the agent (the thing or the person performing the action of the verb) is the subject. Conversely, the thing or person being affected by the action described by the verb is the direct object:
agent
Juan escribió esta novela.
Juan wrote this novel.
However, when we use the passive voice, the direct object in an active sentence becomes the subject. The agent, normally the subject, becomes the object of the preposition por ("by"):
agent
Esta novela fue escrita por Juan.
This novel was written by Juan.
Important
The verb in the active sentence (escribió ("wrote")) undergoes the following changes:
The verb becomes a past participle, which agrees in genderNo definition set for genderLorem 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. (masculine or feminine) and numberNo definition set for numberLorem 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. (singular or plural) with its new subject: novela → escrita ("written").
The past participle is preceded by a form of the verb
ser ("to be") in the same tense as the original active verb (in this case, escribió is in the preterite tense) which agrees with the new subject: fue “it (the novel) was”.
For a reminder on how to form the past participle in Spanish, click the link!
Tip
One consequence of this is that ser can be conjugated in any tense. However, it’s most commonly used with the preterite, the present perfect, the pluperfect, and the future.
To review the different tenses of ser, check out our tables!
Important
In the passive voice, the Spanish past participle acts like an adjective, so remember to do the agreement with the noun it modifies. For instance:
Las tareas fueron completadas por los alumnos.
The assignments were completed by the students.
El carro ha sido comprado por su hermano.
The car has been bought by her brother.
Finally, the agent preceded by por is optional. In some cases, where the agent could be either irrelevant or obvious, we can just get rid of it without affecting the meaning of the sentence.
Las tareas fueron completadas por los alumnos. = Las tareas fueron completadas.
The assignments were completed (by the students).
To sum up this section so far, the passive voice has the following components:
subject + form of ser + past participle + (por + agent)
When (not) to use the passive voice in Spanish
The passive voice is used much more frequently in English than in Spanish. The passive voice in Spanish is used in very formal written styles and in the written journalistic style. On the other hand, the following cases show how the passive voice is typically used in English, whereas other types of sentences are preferred in Spanish.
→ If the agent is present in the sentence or implied, Spanish prefers the active voice:
Todos los estudiantes terminaron el examen. / El examen fue terminado por todos los estudiantes.
All the students finished the test. / The test was finished by all the students.
Me entregaron el paquete puntualmente. / El paquete fue entregado puntualmente.
They delivered the package on time. / The package was delivered on time.
→ If the agent is absent or irrelevant, Spanish prefers the use of passive se.
The passive se is only used with transitive 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. form, singular or plural, depending on the object that goes after them:
Se habla español. / El español es hablado.
Spanish is spoken.
Se venden libros. / Los libros son vendidos.
Books are sold.
To replace absent or irrelevant subjects, we can also use the following options:
The ellos, ellas, usted form of a verb, but without the subject pronounNo definition set for subject 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.:
Hablan español.(They) speak Spanish.La gente ("people"):
La gente habla español.The people speak Spanish.Uno ("one"):
Uno habla español.One speaks Spanish.
Despite the previous strategies, the use of passive se is the most natural and, therefore, the preferred way to express sentences with an absent or irrelevant agent.
→ English allows passive constructions with indirect objectsNo definition set for indirect objectsLorem 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.. This option is impossible in Spanish:
Le dieron un regalo a Juan / Juan fue dado un regalo.
They gave Juan a present / Juan was given a present.
Summary
Although passive sentences in Spanish are possible, they are rarely used. Active sentences and sentences containing the passive se are preferred instead. The passive voice in Spanish is formed in the same way that it is in English:
→ The direct object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. We cannot form the passive voice with indirect objects.
→ The subject of the active sentence becomes the object of por ("by") in the passive sentence.
→ The active verb becomes passive by turning into a past participle, which agrees with the new subject, preceded by a form of ser that matches the tense of the active verb.
Here are some activities for you to practice! (answer keys are provided!)
Downloadable Resources
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