- Master passive "se" (most common!) - Use se + verb constructions with transitive verbs, with number agreement
- Understand ser + past participle - Form formal passive constructions using ser conjugated + past participle
- Know transitive vs intransitive - Distinguish which verbs work with passive se vs impersonal se
- Make participles agree - Adjust past participles for gender and number with the subject
- Use "por" for agents - Express who performed the action using "por" (by)
- Avoid overusing passive - Understand when Spanish prefers active voice or other alternatives
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Passive Voice (Voz Pasiva)
What You'll Learn
Overview / Usage
The passive voice shifts focus from who does an action to what happens or what receives the action. While English uses passive voice frequently, Spanish uses it much more sparingly—mainly in formal writing, news reports, and when the agent (who did it) is unknown or unimportant.
🎯 The Core Structure
Active voice: Cervantes escribió el libro (Cervantes wrote the book)
Passive voice: El libro fue escrito por Cervantes (The book was written by Cervantes)
Formula: ser (conjugated) + past participle (agreeing with subject) + por (by - optional)
⚠️ Important: Spanish Avoids Passive Voice
Unlike English, Spanish speakers often find passive voice unnatural in everyday conversation. Instead, they prefer: active voice, se constructions, or third-person plural verbs. Passive voice is mainly reserved for formal writing, academic texts, and news reports.
At B2 level, you'll learn to form and recognise passive voice, but more importantly, you'll learn when NOT to use it and what alternatives native speakers prefer.
Structure & Formation
🎯 How Passive Voice Works
1. The Basic Formula
SER (conjugated) + PAST PARTICIPLE (agrees) + POR + agent (optional)
Step by step transformation:
Active:
Los estudiantes leen los libros
The students read the books
Passive:
Los libros son leídos por los estudiantes
The books are read by the students
(son = present of ser; leídos = past participle agreeing with "libros" - masculine plural)
💡 Key point: The past participle acts like an adjective and must agree in gender and number with the subject!
2. Past Participle Agreement
The past participle changes its ending to match the subject:
| Subject | Past Participle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | -o | El libro fue escrito |
| Feminine singular | -a | La carta fue escrita |
| Masculine plural | -os | Los libros fueron escritos |
| Feminine plural | -as | Las cartas fueron escritas |
3. Different Tenses in Passive Voice
Conjugate ser in the appropriate tense, then add the past participle:
Present
La casa es construida
The house is (being) built
Preterite
La casa fue construida
The house was built (completed action)
Imperfect
La casa era construida
The house was being built (ongoing in past)
Future
La casa será construida
The house will be built
Present Perfect
La casa ha sido construida
The house has been built
4. Passive "Se" Construction (Most Common!)
The passive "se" (se pasiva) is the MOST common way to express passive meaning in Spanish. It's used with transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) and the verb agrees in number with the subject.
⚠️ Important: Passive Se vs Impersonal Se
• Passive se: Verb agrees in number (singular/plural) - used with transitive verbs
• Impersonal se: Always singular - used with intransitive verbs or general statements
Singular Subject
Se habla español aquí
Spanish is spoken here (literally: "Spanish speaks itself here")
"español" is singular → verb "habla" is singular
Se vende casa
House for sale (literally: "House sells itself")
"casa" is singular → verb "vende" is singular
Se construyó el edificio en 2020
The building was built in 2020
"edificio" is singular → verb "construyó" is singular
Plural Subject (Verb Agrees!)
Se hablan muchos idiomas aquí
Many languages are spoken here
"idiomas" is plural → verb "hablan" is plural
Se venden coches
Cars for sale
"coches" is plural → verb "venden" is plural
Se construyeron los edificios en 2020
The buildings were built in 2020
"edificios" is plural → verb "construyeron" is plural
🔑 Transitive vs Intransitive Verbs
Passive se only works with transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object):
✅ vender (to sell) - transitive → Se vende casa
✅ hablar (to speak) - transitive → Se habla español
✅ construir (to build) - transitive → Se construyó el puente
✅ hablar (to speak) - transitive → Se habla español
✅ construir (to build) - transitive → Se construyó el puente
With intransitive verbs (no direct object), use impersonal se instead:
✅ trabajar (to work) - intransitive → Se trabaja mucho (always singular)
✅ vivir (to live) - intransitive → Se vive bien aquí (always singular)
✅ vivir (to live) - intransitive → Se vive bien aquí (always singular)
5. Other Spanish Alternatives to Passive Voice
Besides passive se, native speakers also use:
Option 1: Active Voice
❌ Passive: La puerta fue abierta por Juan
✅ Active: Juan abrió la puerta (Juan opened the door)
Option 2: Third Person Plural
❌ Passive: La casa fue construida en 1990
✅ Third person plural: Construyeron la casa en 1990 (They built the house in 1990)
💡 Rule of thumb: If you can avoid "ser + past participle" passive in Spanish, do so! Use passive se, active voice, or third person plural instead.
Examples
💬 When Passive Voice IS Used
📰 News & Journalism
El edificio fue destruido por un incendio
The building was destroyed by a fire
Los sospechosos fueron arrestados ayer
The suspects were arrested yesterday
La ley será aprobada el próximo mes
The law will be approved next month
📚 Academic & Formal Writing
El experimento fue realizado por científicos de Harvard
The experiment was conducted by scientists from Harvard
Los datos fueron analizados cuidadosamente
The data were analysed carefully
La teoría ha sido confirmada por múltiples estudios
The theory has been confirmed by multiple studies
🏛️ Historical & Official Contexts
Don Quijote fue escrito por Cervantes
Don Quixote was written by Cervantes
La catedral fue construida en el siglo XIII
The cathedral was built in the 13th century
América fue descubierta en 1492
America was discovered in 1492
🔄 Comparison: Passive vs Natural Alternatives
English: "Spanish is spoken in 20 countries"
⚠️ Literal passive: El español es hablado en 20 países (unnatural)
✅ Better: Se habla español en 20 países (natural)
English: "The door was opened"
⚠️ Passive: La puerta fue abierta (formal, less common)
✅ Better: Se abrió la puerta or Abrieron la puerta
English: "This car was made in Japan"
⚠️ Passive: Este coche fue hecho en Japón
✅ Better: Este coche se hizo en Japón or Hicieron este coche en Japón
Gotchas / Common Mistakes
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Using passive when Spanish prefers active or "se"
English: "This is sold here"
Esto es vendido aquí ❌✓ Esto se vende aquí or ✓ Venden esto aquí
English: "The book was read by everyone"
El libro fue leído por todos ⚠️✓ Todos leyeron el libro (more natural in conversation)
⚡ Forgetting participle agreement
La carta fue escribido ❌
✓ La carta fue escrita (feminine singular)
✓ La carta fue escrita (feminine singular)
Las casas fueron construido ❌
✓ Las casas fueron construidas (feminine plural)
✓ Las casas fueron construidas (feminine plural)
⚡ Using "estar" instead of "ser"
El libro está escrito por Cervantes ❌
✓ El libro fue escrito por Cervantes
✓ El libro fue escrito por Cervantes
✅ Passive voice uses ser, not estar! (Though "estar + participle" exists for states/results)
❌ Confusing "estar + participle" (state) with passive voice
Passive (ser): La ventana fue rota ayer
The window was broken yesterday (action - someone broke it)
State (estar): La ventana está rota
The window is broken (current state - result of past action)
💡 When to use "por" (by)
Include "por + agent" when the doer is important or relevant:
• Don Quijote fue escrito por Cervantes (author matters)
• El cuadro fue pintado por Picasso (artist matters)
Omit "por + agent" when the doer is unknown or unimportant:
• La casa fue construida en 1920 (builder doesn't matter)
• El cuadro fue pintado por Picasso (artist matters)
Omit "por + agent" when the doer is unknown or unimportant:
• La casa fue construida en 1920 (builder doesn't matter)
Quick Test / Mini Quiz
📝 Test Your Passive Voice Skills
Practice forming passive voice and knowing when to use alternatives!
1
Form the passive: 'Cervantes wrote the book'
2
Which is the most natural way to say 'Spanish is spoken here'?
3
Complete with correct agreement: 'Las cartas fueron ____'
4
When is passive voice most commonly used in Spanish?
5
Which verb forms passive voice in Spanish?
6
What's the difference? 'La puerta fue abierta' vs 'La puerta está abierta'
7
Rewrite naturally: 'El español es hablado en México'
8
Complete: 'El edificio ____ destruido ayer' (preterite)
Useful Resources
Coming soon...