Spanish Grammar: Verbs

Passive Voice Defined

In Spanish as in English, there are two voices: active and passive.

A verb is said to be in the passive voice when the subject, instead of performing the action, receives the action of the verb.

The following example is that of the active voice. Here the subject clearly acts.

El muchacho tira la pelota.
The boy throws the ball.

The subject of a passive verb receives the action. It does not do anything.

La pelota fue tirada por el muchacho.
The ball was thrown by the boy.

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Forming the true passive voice

The passive voice is formed from the verb to be, used as an auxiliary verb, and the past participle of the main verb. There is a corresponding passive form for all six regular active tenses in English. We use the passive voice whenever the subject of the sentence receives the action; when the subject of the sentence does the acting, we use the active voice.

Active Voice	Passive Voice

He brings the mail	The mail is brought (by him)
He brought the mail	The mail was brought
He will bring the mail	The mail will be brought
He has brought the mail	The mail has been brought
etc.	etc.

The passive voice in Spanish is formed like the passive voice in English. The verb ser (to be) is used as the auxiliary verb, and to this auxiliary is added the past participle of the main verb.

El contrabandista fue arrestado por el oficial.
The smuggler was arrested by the officer.

María fue deportada por el servicio de inmigración.
Maria was deported by the Immigration Service.

Note that in the passive voice the past participle must agree with the subject in gender and number. The agent (i.e., the person or thing performing the action) may or may not be expressed; if expressed, it is usually introduced by the preposition por.

El paquete fue entregado ayer.
The package was delivered yesterday.

Los dos paquetes fueron entregados ayer.
The two packages were delivered yesterday.

La carta fue escrita por Juan.
The letter was written by John.

Note: When the action is mental, the agent is introduced by the preposition de.

Somos respetados de todos.
We are respected by all.

Ella es admirada de sus amigas.
She is admired by her friends.

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Reflexive substitute for the passive

When the agent is not expressed, the reflexive construction may be used in place of the true passive. There are two different forms of this construction.

1. When the subject of the English construction is a person, the verb in Spanish is impersonal (se + third person singular verb). The English subject then becomes the direct or indirect object of the verb in the Spanish construction.

Se las veía en todas partes.
They were seen everywhere. (One saw them everywhere).

Se le dirá a ella que no es verdad.
She will be told that it is not true. (They will tell her that it is not true).

2. When the subject of the construction is a thing, it is retained as the subject of the Spanish sentence. The Spanish verb, of course, agrees with the subject in number.

Este libro no se venderá.
This book will not be sold.

Se han construído dos teatros aquí.
Two theatres have been built here.

Notice the inverted word order. The reflexive verb will normally (but not always) precede the subject when it is used passively. See the preceding example.

3. When the subject of a sentence is impersonal or indefinite, the reflexive construction is used. The verb is always in the third person singular. (In English sentences of this type, the subject is an impersonal expression, such as one, you, they, people.)

Se dice que es muy atrevido.
It is said that he is very bold.

Se sabe que no podemos evitarlo.
They know we cannot avoid it.

Se creía que nadie vendría a tiempo.
They thought that nobody would come on time.

Note: The passive is used less frequently in Spanish than in English. The active voice with the verb in the third person plural is a common substitute.

Escriben muchas cartas.
Many letters are written. (Literaly: They write many letters.)

Comen poca carne en esta familia.
Little meat is eaten in this family (Literaly: They eat little meat in this family.