8.4.4
Passive Voice
Test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
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).

Present tense
- Se come frío.
- It is eaten cold.
- Se venden bocadillos.
- Sandwiches are sold here.

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.

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.

Present tense
- Él es querido por todos.
- He is loved by everyone.
- Ellos son queridos por todos.
- They are loved by everyone.

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.

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.
1The Basics
1.1Pronouns
2Current & Future Study & Employment
2.1School & Subjects
2.2School & Subjects - Translations (Foundation)
2.3School & Subjects - Translations (Higher)
2.4Education Post - 16
2.5Education Post - 16 - Translations (Foundation)
2.6Education Post - 16 - Translations (Higher)
3Identity & Culture
3.1Me, My Family & Friends
3.2Me, Family & Friends - Translations (Foundation)
3.3Me, Family & Friends - Translations (Higher)
3.4Technology in Everyday Life
3.5Tech in Everyday Life - Translations (Foundation)
3.6Tech in Everyday Life - Translations (Higher)
3.7Free Time Activities
3.8Free Time Activities - Translations (Foundation)
3.9Free Time Activities - Translations (Higher)
3.10Customs & Festivals in Spanish Speaking Countries
3.11Customs & Festivals - Translations (Foundation)
3.12Customs & Festivals - Translations (Higher)
4Areas of Interest
4.1Home, Town, Neighbourhood & Region
4.2Home & Region - Translations (Foundation)
4.3Home & Region - Translations (Higher)
4.4Social Issues
4.5Social Issues - Translations (Foundation)
4.6Social Issues - Translations (Higher)
4.7Global Issues
4.8Global Issues - Translations
4.9Travel & Tourism
4.10Travel & Tourism - Translations
5Listening Practice
5.1Time Expressions - Listening
5.2Me, My Family & Friends - Listening
5.3Technology in Everyday Life - Listening
5.4Free-Time - Listening
5.5Customs & Festivals - Listening
5.6Home, Town, Neighbourhood & Region - Listening
5.7Social Issues - Listening
5.8Travel & Tourism - Listening
5.9Education - Listening
5.10Food & Drink - Listening
5.11In the Home - Listening
5.12Colours - Listening
5.13Clothes & Accesories - Listening
5.14Measurements - Listening
5.15Materials - Listening
6Common Tenses
6.1Present Tense
6.2Preterite Tense
6.3Imperfect Tense
6.4Preterite vs Imperfect Tenses
6.5Future Tense
7Important Verbs
7.1To Be - 'Ser' & 'Estar'
7.2To Like - 'Gustar'
7.3To Have - 'Tener'
8Advanced Tenses
8.1The Simple Future
8.2Conditional Tense
8.3Continuous Tenses
8.5Present Subjunctive
8.6Imperfect Subjunctive
9Extra Grammar
9.1Articles
9.2Negatives
9.3Nouns
9.4Asking Questions
9.5Adjectives
9.8Pronouns
9.9By, With, From, Of
9.10Verbs
Jump to other topics
1The Basics
1.1Pronouns
2Current & Future Study & Employment
2.1School & Subjects
2.2School & Subjects - Translations (Foundation)
2.3School & Subjects - Translations (Higher)
2.4Education Post - 16
2.5Education Post - 16 - Translations (Foundation)
2.6Education Post - 16 - Translations (Higher)
3Identity & Culture
3.1Me, My Family & Friends
3.2Me, Family & Friends - Translations (Foundation)
3.3Me, Family & Friends - Translations (Higher)
3.4Technology in Everyday Life
3.5Tech in Everyday Life - Translations (Foundation)
3.6Tech in Everyday Life - Translations (Higher)
3.7Free Time Activities
3.8Free Time Activities - Translations (Foundation)
3.9Free Time Activities - Translations (Higher)
3.10Customs & Festivals in Spanish Speaking Countries
3.11Customs & Festivals - Translations (Foundation)
3.12Customs & Festivals - Translations (Higher)
4Areas of Interest
4.1Home, Town, Neighbourhood & Region
4.2Home & Region - Translations (Foundation)
4.3Home & Region - Translations (Higher)
4.4Social Issues
4.5Social Issues - Translations (Foundation)
4.6Social Issues - Translations (Higher)
4.7Global Issues
4.8Global Issues - Translations
4.9Travel & Tourism
4.10Travel & Tourism - Translations
5Listening Practice
5.1Time Expressions - Listening
5.2Me, My Family & Friends - Listening
5.3Technology in Everyday Life - Listening
5.4Free-Time - Listening
5.5Customs & Festivals - Listening
5.6Home, Town, Neighbourhood & Region - Listening
5.7Social Issues - Listening
5.8Travel & Tourism - Listening
5.9Education - Listening
5.10Food & Drink - Listening
5.11In the Home - Listening
5.12Colours - Listening
5.13Clothes & Accesories - Listening
5.14Measurements - Listening
5.15Materials - Listening
6Common Tenses
6.1Present Tense
6.2Preterite Tense
6.3Imperfect Tense
6.4Preterite vs Imperfect Tenses
6.5Future Tense
7Important Verbs
7.1To Be - 'Ser' & 'Estar'
7.2To Like - 'Gustar'
7.3To Have - 'Tener'
8Advanced Tenses
8.1The Simple Future
8.2Conditional Tense
8.3Continuous Tenses
8.5Present Subjunctive
8.6Imperfect Subjunctive
9Extra Grammar
9.1Articles
9.2Negatives
9.3Nouns
9.4Asking Questions
9.5Adjectives
9.8Pronouns
9.9By, With, From, Of
9.10Verbs
Practice questions on Passive Voice
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1How do you say 'the houses were built' in Spanish?Multiple choice
- 2How do you say 'it was done' in Spanish?Multiple choice
Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium
Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions
Mini-mock exams based on your study history
Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books