Passive voice: the action was done (ser + past participle)
Ser + a past participle that agrees with the subject: el libro fue escrito por Cervantes. In everyday Spanish, passive se is far more common.
The rule at a glance
ser + past participle (agrees) + por + agent (optional)
Mainly formal writing and the news; Everyday Spanish uses se: se habla español
Ser passive (formal)
fue escrito
was written
El libro fue escrito por Cervantes.
The book was written by Cervantes.
The participle agrees
fueron escritas
were written
Las cartas fueron escritas.
The letters were written.
Passive se (everyday)
se venden
are sold
Se venden coches.
Cars for sale.
Estar: the result
está rota
is broken
La ventana está rota.
The window is broken (current state).
Forms
The passive voice shifts the focus from who does an action to what receives it. Conjugate ser in the tense you need and add the past participle (the form used in the perfect tenses). The participle acts like an adjective and must agree in gender and number with the subject.
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.
Participle agreement
The highlighted part is the ending.
| 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 |
The passive in different tenses
| Tense | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| Present | La casa es construida | The house is (being) built |
| Preterite | La casa fue construida | The house was built (completed action) |
| Imperfect | Las casas eran construidas con adobe | Houses used to be built with adobe (habitual in the past) |
| Future | La casa será construida | The house will be built |
| Present perfect | La casa ha sido construida | The house has been built |
When to use it
1. Ser passive: news, academic and historical writing
Mainly in formal writing, news reports and academic texts, and when the agent (who did it) is unknown or unimportant.
News: El edificio fue destruido por un incendio. The building was destroyed by a fire.
Academic: Los datos fueron analizados cuidadosamente. The data were analysed carefully.
History: La catedral fue construida en el siglo XIII. The cathedral was built in the 13th century.
News: La ley será aprobada el próximo mes. The law will be approved next month.
2. Por + agent: only when it matters
Include por (by) when the agent is important information; leave it out when the agent is unknown or not relevant.
Agent matters: Don Quijote fue escrito por Cervantes. Don Quixote was written by Cervantes.
Agent not relevant: La casa fue construida en 1920. The house was built in 1920.
3. Passive se: the everyday passive
The passive se (se pasiva) is the most common way to express passive meaning. It works with transitive verbs (vender, hablar, construir), and the verb agrees in number with the subject.
Singular: Se habla español aquí. Spanish is spoken here.
Plural: verb agrees: Se hablan muchos idiomas aquí. Many languages are spoken here.
Singular: Se construyó el edificio en 2020. The building was built in 2020.
Plural: verb agrees: Se construyeron los edificios en 2020. The buildings were built in 2020.
4. Natural alternatives: active voice and they + verb
Unlike English, Spanish speakers often find the ser passive unnatural in conversation. Rule of thumb: if you can avoid it, do. Use passive se, the active voice or a third person plural verb instead.
Active voice: Juan abrió la puerta. Juan opened the door. Formal: La puerta fue abierta por Juan.
They + verb: Construyeron la casa en 1990. They built the house in 1990. Formal: La casa fue construida en 1990.
Passive se: Se habla español en 20 países. Spanish is spoken in 20 countries. Formal: El español es hablado en 20 países.
Passive se: Este coche se hizo en Japón. This car was made in Japan. Formal: Este coche fue hecho en Japón.
5. Ser or estar with a participle: action or result
Ser + participle is the passive: an action someone did. Estar + participle describes the resulting state.
Ser: action: La ventana fue rota por unos vándalos. The window was broken by vandals (someone broke it).
Estar: result: La ventana está rota. The window is broken (current state).
Passive se needs a verb with an object. With intransitive verbs (trabajar, vivir), use impersonal se, which is always singular: Se trabaja mucho, Se vive bien aquí. For estar + participle, see ser vs estar.
Common mistakes
Not this (incorrect): Esto es vendido aquí
But this (correct): Esto se vende aquí. Spanish prefers the "se" construction for the everyday passive: it sounds more natural.
Not this (incorrect): El libro fue escribido por Cervantes
But this (correct): El libro fue escrito por Cervantes. Escribir has an irregular participle: escrito (also hecho, dicho, visto, puesto, abierto, roto).
Not this (incorrect): La catedral estaba construida en el siglo XIII
But this (correct): La catedral fue construida en el siglo XIII. An action done at a point in time takes ser (fue construida); estar + participle only describes the resulting state.
Not this (incorrect): Las casas fueron construido
But this (correct): Las casas fueron construidas. The past participle must be feminine plural to match "casas".
Quick check
8 questions1. Form the passive: 'Cervantes wrote the book'
Use ser (fue) + past participle (escrito): El libro fue escrito por Cervantes.
2. Which is the most natural way to say 'Spanish is spoken here'?
Spanish prefers the 'se' construction: Se habla español aquí is much more natural than the passive voice.
3. Complete with correct agreement: 'Las cartas fueron ____'
Past participles agree with the subject. 'Las cartas' is feminine plural, so: escritas.
4. When is passive voice most commonly used in Spanish?
Passive voice is mainly used in formal writing, news reports, and academic contexts in Spanish.
5. Which verb forms passive voice in Spanish?
Passive voice uses ser (conjugated) + past participle, not estar.
6. What's the difference? 'La puerta fue abierta' vs 'La puerta está abierta'
Fue abierta (ser) = passive action (was opened). Está abierta (estar) = resulting state (is open now).
7. Rewrite naturally: 'El español es hablado en México'
Use the 'se' construction instead of the passive: Se habla español en México is more natural.
8. Complete: 'El edificio ____ destruido ayer' (preterite)
Use the preterite of ser for a completed past action: fue destruido (was destroyed).
Practise forming and choosing the passive.
Going further
More examples from news, academic and historical writing
News and journalism
Los sospechosos fueron arrestados ayer. The suspects were arrested yesterday.
Academic and formal writing
El experimento fue realizado por científicos. The experiment was conducted by scientists.
La teoría ha sido confirmada. The theory has been confirmed.
Historical and official contexts
América fue descubierta en 1492. America was discovered in 1492.
More passive se
Se vende casa. House for sale.
Se venden coches. Cars for sale.
Se abrieron las puertas a las nueve. The doors were opened at nine.