8.4.4

Passive Voice

Test yourself

Forming the Passive with 'Se'

The passive with ‘se’ is easy to form: use ‘se’ followed by the third person singular or the third person plural. It can only be used with transitive verbs (verbs with an object receiving the action).

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Present tense

  • Se come frío.
    • It is eaten cold.
  • Se venden bocadillos.
    • Sandwiches are sold here.
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Past tenses

  • La casa se pintó de rojo.
    • The house was painted red.
  • Las casas se constuyeron en 1982.
    • The houses were built in 1982.
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Future Tense

  • Se servirán los aperitivos en el comedor.
    • Aperitifs will be served in the dinning room.
  • Todo ello se financiará con recursos publicos.
    • All this will be funded by public resources.

Forming the Passive Voice with 'Ser'

In the passive voice the object is given the active role in a sentence. To form the passive voice you use 'ser' + a past participle. The past participle must agree with the gender and person of the subject.

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Present tense

  • Él es querido por todos.
    • He is loved by everyone.
  • Ellos son queridos por todos.
    • They are loved by everyone.
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Past tenses

  • La Mona Lisa fue pintada por Leonardo da Vinci.
    • The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
  • Las casas fueron construidas en 1982.
    • The houses were built in 1982.
  • Los nuevos empleos eran creados por las empresas.
    • The new jobs were created by businesses.
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Future Tense

  • La ley será aprobada por los ciudadanos.
    • The law will be approved by the citizens.
  • Un muro será contruido por Donald Trump.
    • A wall will be built by Donald Trump.

Jump to other topics

1The Basics

2Current & Future Study & Employment

3Identity & Culture

3.1Me, My Family & Friends

3.2Me, My Family & Friends - Translations

3.3Technology in Everyday Life

3.4Technology in Everyday Life - Translations

3.5Free Time Activities

3.6Free Time Activities - Translations

3.7Customs & Festivals in Spanish Speaking Countries

3.8Customs & Festivals - Translations

4Areas of Interest

4.1Home, Town, Neighbourhood & Region

4.2Home, Town, Neighbourhood & Region - Translations

4.3Social Issues

4.4Social Issues - Translations

4.5Global Issues

4.6Global Issues - Translations

4.7Travel & Tourism

4.8Travel & Tourism - Translations

5Listening Practice

6Common Tenses

7Important Verbs

8Advanced Tenses

9Extra Grammar

9.1Articles

9.2Negatives

9.3Nouns

9.4Asking Questions

9.5Adjectives

9.6Adverbs

9.7Conjunctions

9.8Pronouns

9.9By, With, From, Of

9.10Verbs

9.11Comparisons

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