Introduction to the Passive Voice in Spanish: A2 Grammar Guide

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Key Takeaways

• Understand the concept of passive voice and when to use it in Spanish
• Master the “ser + past participle” construction for passive sentences
• Learn how to form passive sentences with different tenses
• Practice converting active sentences to passive voice
• Understand when to use passive voice vs. active voice in Spanish

Focus on the Action, Not the Doer

The passive voice allows you to emphasize what happens to the subject rather than who performs the action. While less common in Spanish than in English, it’s essential for formal writing, news reports, and situations where the action is more important than who did it. Think of it as shifting focus from “who does” to “what is done.”

What is the Passive Voice?

The passive voice highlights the receiver of the action rather than the doer:

Active Voice (Focus on Doer):	Passive Voice (Focus on Action):
“El chef cocina la comida.” (The chef cooks the food.)	“La comida es cocinada por el chef.” (The food is cooked by the chef.)
“Los obreros construyen la casa.” (Workers build the house.)	“La casa es construida por los obreros.” (The house is built by workers.)

Forming the Passive Voice

The passive voice is formed with:
Ser + past participle + por + [agent]

Table: Passive Voice Conjugation with “Ser”

Tense	Structure	Example	Translation
Present	es/son + past participle	El libro es leído por María.	The book is read by Maria.
Preterite	fue/fueron + past participle	La casa fue construida en 1990.	The house was built in 1990.
Imperfect	era/eran + past participle	El café era tomado cada mañana.	Coffee was drunk every morning.
Future	será/serán + past participle	El proyecto será terminado mañana.	The project will be finished tomorrow.

💡 Grammar Tip: The past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject: “La carta es escrita” (feminine singular) vs “Los libros son escritos” (masculine plural).

Past Participle Agreement

The past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number:

Subject	Past Participle	Example	Translation
Masculine singular	-ado/-ido	El coche es vendido.	The car is sold.
Feminine singular	-ada/-ida	La casa es vendida.	The house is sold.
Masculine plural	-ados/-idos	Los coches son vendidos.	The cars are sold.
Feminine plural	-adas/-idas	Las casas son vendidas.	The houses are sold.

When to Use the Passive Voice

Use passive voice for:

• ✅ Formal Writing: Academic papers, official documents
• ✅ News Reports: Emphasizing events rather than people
• ✅ Unknown Agent: When who did the action is unknown or unimportant
• ✅ Scientific Writing: Objective descriptions of processes

Examples:

• “El puente fue construido en el siglo XIX.” (The bridge was built in the 19th century.) – Unknown/unnamed builders
• “Las reglas serán explicadas al inicio.” (The rules will be explained at the beginning.) – Formal context
• “El ladrón fue arrestado por la policía.” (The thief was arrested by the police.) – News report

Passive Voice vs. Active Voice

Passive (Common in English):	Active (Preferred in Spanish):
“La decisión fue tomada por el comité.”	“El comité tomó la decisión.”
“El paquete será entregado mañana.”	“Entregarán el paquete mañana.”
“Las flores fueron plantadas por mi abuela.”	“Mi abuela plantó las flores.”

🔍 Grammar Focus: Spanish often prefers active voice or alternative constructions like “se” passive. Use passive voice sparingly and only when it serves a specific purpose.

Alternative to Passive: “Se” Construction

Instead of passive voice, Spanish often uses impersonal “se”:

Passive Voice:	“Se” Construction (More Natural):
“El español es hablado en muchos países.”	“Se habla español en muchos países.”
“Las manzanas son vendidas en el mercado.”	“Se venden manzanas en el mercado.”
“Los libros son leídos por los estudiantes.”	“Se leen libros en la escuela.”

Putting It All Together: Real Context

News Report Style:
“El nuevo hospital fue inaugurado ayer por el alcalde. El edificio fue diseñado por arquitectos famosos y será utilizado por miles de pacientes. Los equipos fueron donados por empresas locales.”

Translation:
“The new hospital was inaugurated yesterday by the mayor. The building was designed by famous architects and will be used by thousands of patients. The equipment was donated by local companies.”

Formal Instructions:
“Los documentos deben ser entregados antes del viernes. Las solicitudes serán revisadas por el comité. Los resultados serán publicados el lunes.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Overusing passive voice: Spanish prefers active constructions
2. Wrong participle agreement: “Las casas es construido” (wrong) → “Las casas son construidas” (correct)
3. Confusing “ser” and “estar”: “Está vendido” (result) vs “Es vendido” (action)
4. Using passive for habits: Use active voice for repeated actions
5. Literal translations: English passive doesn’t always translate directly

Quick Reference Chart

Element	Rule	Example
Formation	ser + past participle + por	es escrito por
Participle Agreement	Match subject gender/number	la carta es escrita / los libros son escritos
Tenses	Conjugate ser appropriately	fue/fueron, era/eran, será/serán
Alternative	Use “se” construction	se habla, se vende, se construye
When to Use	Formal writing, news, unknown agent	Not for everyday conversation

Practice Exercise: Convert to Passive Voice

Convert these active sentences to passive voice:

1. Los estudiantes leen los libros. → Los libros ______ por los estudiantes.
2. El chef prepara la cena. → La cena ______ por el chef.
3. Ellos construyeron la casa en 2005. → La casa ______ en 2005.
4. El profesor explicará la lección. → La lección ______ por el profesor.

Answers:

1. son leídos
2. es preparada
3. fue construida
4. será explicada

📚 Review related topics: Past Participles | Impersonal Se

Ready to Master Formal Spanish?

Think you understand the passive voice? Test your ability to form and use passive constructions correctly in Spanish!

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