DELE A2 Guide: Spanish Passive Voice – Introduction

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→ Want to practice first? Try our Passive Voice Quiz!

Key Takeaways

• Understand the basic concept of the passive voice in Spanish
• Master the “ser + past participle” structure for the passive
• Learn the crucial difference between “ser” and “estar” with past participles
• Practice with DELE-focused examples for exam recognition

Welcome to your introduction to the Spanish Passive Voice. While this topic is more fully developed at the B1 level, DELE A2 requires you to recognize and understand basic passive constructions. This guide will give you the essential foundation you need for the exam.

What is the Passive Voice?
The passive voice emphasizes the action and the receiver of the action, rather than who performs it.

Active Voice: Subject + Verb + Object

• “El chef cocina la comida.” (The chef cooks the food.)

Passive Voice: Subject + “ser” + Past Participle + “por” + Agent

• “La comida es cocinada por el chef.” (The food is cooked by the chef.)

Basic Passive Structure

Formula: [Subject] + ser (conjugated) + past participle + por + [agent]

Present Tense Examples:

• “El libro es leído por los estudiantes.” (The book is read by the students.)
• “Las casas son construidas por los arquitectos.” (The houses are built by the architects.)
• “El español es hablado en muchos países.” (Spanish is spoken in many countries.)

Past Tense Examples:

• “La carta fue escrita ayer.” (The letter was written yesterday.)
• “Los problemas fueron resueltos por el equipo.” (The problems were solved by the team.)

Forming the Past Participle

Regular Forms:

• -AR verbs: -ado (hablar → hablado)
• -ER verbs: -ido (comer → comido)
• -IR verbs: -ido (vivir → vivido)

Common Irregular Past Participles:

• abrir → abierto
• escribir → escrito
• hacer → hecho
• ver → visto
• volver → vuelto
• decir → dicho

Important: Ser vs. Estar with Past Participles

Use SER for:

• Passive voice actions
• “El coche es lavado por mi hermano.” (The car is washed by my brother.)

Use ESTAR for:

• Resulting states or conditions
• “El coche está lavado.” (The car is washed – meaning it’s clean now.)

DELE A2 Practical Scenarios

News and Reports:

• “El puente fue construido en 1990.” (The bridge was built in 1990.)
• “Las elecciones serán realizadas en mayo.” (The elections will be held in May.)

General Facts:

• “El español es hablado por millones de personas.” (Spanish is spoken by millions of people.)
• “El café es producido en Brasil.” (Coffee is produced in Brazil.)

Everyday Situations:

• “La comida es servida a las 8 PM.” (The food is served at 8 PM.)
• “Las habitaciones son limpiadas cada día.” (The rooms are cleaned every day.)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Confusing Ser and Estar:

• ✅ “La ventana es abierta por María.” (action)
• ✅ “La ventana está abierta.” (resulting state)

2. Forgetting Gender/Number Agreement:

• ✅ “Las ventanas son abiertas.”
• ❌ “Las ventanas son abierto.”

3. Overusing the Passive:
Spanish often prefers active voice or other structures.

Alternative to Passive: “Se” Passive

Structure: se + verb (third person)

• “Se venden coches aquí.” (Cars are sold here.)
• “Se habla español.” (Spanish is spoken.)

This is often more common in everyday Spanish than the full passive with “ser.”

DELE A2 Exam Tips

• Reading Section: Recognize passive constructions in texts
• Listening Section: Identify passive sentences in announcements
• Writing Section: Use basic passive forms appropriately
• Key Contexts: News reports, general information, descriptions

Grammar Rules Summary

1. Past Participle Agreement:
The past participle must agree with the subject in gender and number:

• “La puerta es abierta.” (feminine singular)
• “Los libros son leídos.” (masculine plural)
• “Las casas son construidas.” (feminine plural)

2. “Por” for the Agent:
Use “por” to introduce who performs the action:

• “El libro fue escrito por el autor.”

3. Tense Consistency:
The verb “ser” is conjugated, while the past participle remains unchanged:

• Present: “es hecho”
• Past: “fue hecho”
• Future: “será hecho”

Practice Exercises

Transform to passive:

1. “Los estudiantes leen el libro.”
2. “El arquitecto diseña la casa.”
3. “El cocinero prepara la comida.”

Answers:

• “El libro es leído por los estudiantes.”
• “La casa es diseñada por el arquitecto.”
• “La comida es preparada por el cocinero.”

Memory Aids

• SER + past participle = Passive action
• ESTAR + past participle = Resulting state
• Past participle agrees with subject
• Use POR for the person/thing doing the action

Next Step: Test Your Knowledge!
Ready to check your understanding of the passive voice?

Take our DELE A2 Passive Voice Quiz here to ensure you’re prepared for the exam.

What’s Next in Your DELE A2 Journey?

• Need more verb practice? Review DELE A2 Past Tenses
• Ready for related topics? Study DELE A2 Impersonal Se
• Want to practice writing? Learn DELE A2 Sentence Structure
• Practice all A2 grammar? Return to DELE A2 Grammar Hub

Looking for a deeper dive?
This guide covers the essentials for the DELE A2 exam. If you want to explore more complex passive structures, all tense formations, and advanced usage, check out our complete guide: Spanish Passive Voice: The Complete Guide

Understanding the passive voice will help you comprehend more complex Spanish texts and communicate with greater variety!