10.4.6
Passive Voice
Forming the Passive with 'Se'
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. The passive with 'se' can be used in any tense and only with transitive verbs.


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


Past tenses
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
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'
Forming the Passive Voice with 'Ser'
The passive can be used in any tense. 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
Present tense
- Él es querido por todos.
- He is loved by everyone.
- Ellos son queridos por todos.
- They are loved by everyone.


Past tenses
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
Future Tense
- La ley será aprobada por los ciudadanos.
- The law will be approved by the citizens.
- Un muro será construido por Donald Trump.
- A wall will be built by Donald Trump.
1The Basics
1.1Pronouns
1.2Verbs
1.3Nouns
1.4Adjectives
1.5Abbreviations
2Home & Abroad
2.2Holiday
2.4Everyday Life, Traditions & Communities
3Education & Employment
3.2School Trips
3.4Future Plans
4Personal Life & Relationships
4.1House & Home
4.2Daily Routines & Helping at Home
4.3Family & Friends
5The World Around Us
5.1Environmental Issues
5.2Weather
5.3Travel & Transport
5.5Information & Communication
6Social Activities, Fitness & Health
6.1Special Occasions
6.2Hobbies & Interests
6.3Shopping & Money Matters
6.4Injuries, Illness & Health
7Listening
7.1Town & Region
7.2Holiday
7.3Customs
7.4Education
7.5Personal Life & Relationships
7.6The Media & Technology
7.7Social Activities
7.8The Environment
7.9Fitness & Health
8Common Tenses
8.1Present Tense
8.1.1Regular AR Verbs
8.1.2Negative Verbs
8.1.3Irregular AR Verbs
8.1.4Irregular AR Verbs: Exceptions
8.1.5Regular ER Verbs
8.1.6Irregular ER Verbs
8.1.7Irregular ER Verbs 2
8.1.8Regular IR Verbs
8.1.9Irregular IR Verbs
8.1.10Irregular IR Verbs 2
8.1.11Irregular IR Verbs 3
8.1.12Irregular IR Verbs 4
8.1.13Verb Phrases
8.1.14The Use of 'Se'
8.2Preterite Tense
8.2.1Regular AR Verbs
8.2.2Irregular AR Verbs (1/4)
8.2.3Irregular AR Verbs (2/4)
8.2.4Irregular AR Verbs (3/4)
8.2.5Irregular AR Verbs (4/4)
8.2.6Regular ER Verbs
8.2.7Irregular ER Verbs (1/5)
8.2.8Irregular ER Verbs (2/5)
8.2.9Irregular ER Verbs (3/5)
8.2.10Irregular ER Verbs (4/5)
8.2.11Irregular ER Verbs (5/5)
8.2.12Regular IR Verbs
8.2.13Irregular IR Verbs (1/6)
8.2.14Irregular IR Verbs (2/6)
8.2.15Irregular IR Verbs (3/6)
8.2.16Irregular IR Verbs (4/6)
8.2.17Irregular IR Verbs (5/6)
8.2.18Irregular IR Verbs (6/6)
8.3Imperfect Tense
8.4Preterite vs Imperfect Tenses
8.5Future Tense
9Important Verbs
9.1To Be - 'Ser' & 'Estar'
9.2To Like - 'Gustar'
9.3To Have - 'Tener'
10Advanced Tenses
10.1The Simple Future
10.2Conditional Tense
10.3Continuous Tenses
10.4Perfect Tense
10.5Present Subjunctive
10.5.1Present Subjunctive: AR Verbs
10.5.2Present Subjunctive: ER Verbs
10.5.3Present Subjunctive: IR Verbs
10.5.4Irregular AR Verbs (1/3)
10.5.5Irregular AR Verbs (2/3)
10.5.6Irregular AR Verbs (3/3)
10.5.7Irregular ER Verbs (1/2)
10.5.8Irregular ER Verbs (2/2)
10.5.9Irregular IR Verbs (1/3)
10.5.10Irregular IR Verbs (2/3)
10.5.11Irregular IR Verbs (3/3)
10.5.12The Verb 'Ir'
10.5.13Subjunctive Uses
10.6Imperfect Subjunctive
11Extra Grammar
11.2Negatives
11.3Nouns
11.4Asking Questions
11.5Adjectives
11.6Adverbs
11.7Conjunctions
11.8Pronouns
11.9By, With, From, Of
11.10Verbs
11.11Comparisons
Jump to other topics
1The Basics
1.1Pronouns
1.2Verbs
1.3Nouns
1.4Adjectives
1.5Abbreviations
2Home & Abroad
2.2Holiday
2.4Everyday Life, Traditions & Communities
3Education & Employment
3.2School Trips
3.4Future Plans
4Personal Life & Relationships
4.1House & Home
4.2Daily Routines & Helping at Home
4.3Family & Friends
5The World Around Us
5.1Environmental Issues
5.2Weather
5.3Travel & Transport
5.5Information & Communication
6Social Activities, Fitness & Health
6.1Special Occasions
6.2Hobbies & Interests
6.3Shopping & Money Matters
6.4Injuries, Illness & Health
7Listening
7.1Town & Region
7.2Holiday
7.3Customs
7.4Education
7.5Personal Life & Relationships
7.6The Media & Technology
7.7Social Activities
7.8The Environment
7.9Fitness & Health
8Common Tenses
8.1Present Tense
8.1.1Regular AR Verbs
8.1.2Negative Verbs
8.1.3Irregular AR Verbs
8.1.4Irregular AR Verbs: Exceptions
8.1.5Regular ER Verbs
8.1.6Irregular ER Verbs
8.1.7Irregular ER Verbs 2
8.1.8Regular IR Verbs
8.1.9Irregular IR Verbs
8.1.10Irregular IR Verbs 2
8.1.11Irregular IR Verbs 3
8.1.12Irregular IR Verbs 4
8.1.13Verb Phrases
8.1.14The Use of 'Se'
8.2Preterite Tense
8.2.1Regular AR Verbs
8.2.2Irregular AR Verbs (1/4)
8.2.3Irregular AR Verbs (2/4)
8.2.4Irregular AR Verbs (3/4)
8.2.5Irregular AR Verbs (4/4)
8.2.6Regular ER Verbs
8.2.7Irregular ER Verbs (1/5)
8.2.8Irregular ER Verbs (2/5)
8.2.9Irregular ER Verbs (3/5)
8.2.10Irregular ER Verbs (4/5)
8.2.11Irregular ER Verbs (5/5)
8.2.12Regular IR Verbs
8.2.13Irregular IR Verbs (1/6)
8.2.14Irregular IR Verbs (2/6)
8.2.15Irregular IR Verbs (3/6)
8.2.16Irregular IR Verbs (4/6)
8.2.17Irregular IR Verbs (5/6)
8.2.18Irregular IR Verbs (6/6)
8.3Imperfect Tense
8.4Preterite vs Imperfect Tenses
8.5Future Tense
9Important Verbs
9.1To Be - 'Ser' & 'Estar'
9.2To Like - 'Gustar'
9.3To Have - 'Tener'
10Advanced Tenses
10.1The Simple Future
10.2Conditional Tense
10.3Continuous Tenses
10.4Perfect Tense
10.5Present Subjunctive
10.5.1Present Subjunctive: AR Verbs
10.5.2Present Subjunctive: ER Verbs
10.5.3Present Subjunctive: IR Verbs
10.5.4Irregular AR Verbs (1/3)
10.5.5Irregular AR Verbs (2/3)
10.5.6Irregular AR Verbs (3/3)
10.5.7Irregular ER Verbs (1/2)
10.5.8Irregular ER Verbs (2/2)
10.5.9Irregular IR Verbs (1/3)
10.5.10Irregular IR Verbs (2/3)
10.5.11Irregular IR Verbs (3/3)
10.5.12The Verb 'Ir'
10.5.13Subjunctive Uses
10.6Imperfect Subjunctive
11Extra Grammar
11.2Negatives
11.3Nouns
11.4Asking Questions
11.5Adjectives
11.6Adverbs
11.7Conjunctions
11.8Pronouns
11.9By, With, From, Of
11.10Verbs
11.11Comparisons
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