La carta fue enviada por María.
English: The letter was sent by María.
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Perífrasis verbales y voz pasiva
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
The passive voice in Spanish ('voz pasiva') is a way to focus on the action or the object of the action, rather than who does it. The subject receives the action.
When to use it
Use the passive voice in Spanish when you want to emphasize the action or the result, or when the person doing the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious.
Key forms
- ser + participio pasado + por + agente
- Ejemplo: El libro fue escrito por el autor.
Examples
La casa será construida por los ingenieros.
English: The house will be built by the engineers.
El examen ha sido corregido por el profesor.
English: The exam has been corrected by the teacher.
Las decisiones son tomadas por el comité.
English: The decisions are made by the committee.
Tips
- Always match the participle with the gender and number of the subject (e.g., 'fue escrita', 'fueron escritos').
- The agent (who does the action) is introduced with 'por'.
- Sometimes, Spanish prefers the 'se' passive (e.g., 'Se vendieron todas las entradas.') for general statements.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some verbs do not form the passive voice naturally in Spanish.
- The 'se' passive is often used instead of the 'ser' passive, especially in informal contexts.