Spanish Grammar Bank
SPANISH PASSIVE VOICE
The passive voice in Spanish is a phrasal construction wherein the subject is the recipient of the action or process expressed by the verb.
In other words, the focus shifts from the agent performing the action to the receiver (patient) of the action.
TYPES OF PASSIVE CONSTRUCTIONS
Periphrastic Passive
The periphrastic passive is formed using the verb ‘ser’, followed by the past participle of a transitive verb and a patient subject (recipient) which is the direct object of the main verb.
REVIEW || A transitive verb in Spanish is one that is constructed with a direct object.
PATTERN
Subject + ser + past participle of the main verb + (optional agent complement, introduced by the preposition por)
The subject of the active sentence may appear explicitly in the periphrastic passive as an agent complement, although it is often done tacitly, like for example, Las leyes fueron aprobadas (The laws were approved).
In the example above, the subject that approves the laws is tacitly implied.
In modern-day Spanish, this form of the passive voice is less frequently used than the reflexive passive, which is far more common, in the written as well as in the spoken language.
| Las piezas son fabricadas por la máquina. | The pieces are manufactured by the machine. |
| Los alumnos fueron regañados. | The students were scolded. |
| El artículo fue escrito por el autor. | The article was written by the author. |
Reflexive Passive
The reflexive passive is formed with a transitive verb, the pronoun ‘se’, and a patient subject (the recipient or the direct object in the corresponding active sentence).
Reflexive passives do not carry a past participle and are often used when the agent is unknown, irrelevant, or unimportant. This passive voice describes the action in a general and impersonal way—for example, Se venden los coches (The cars are for sale).
Contrary as well to the structure of periphrastic passives, reflexive passives generally avoid the use of an agent complement, so they do not require ‘por’ to introduce an agent.
PATTERN
Se + Transitive Verb + Subject
| El documento se entregó tarde. | The document was submitted late. |
| La noticia se publicó en todos los diarios. | The news was published in all of the newspapers. |
| El libro se escribió el año pasado. | The book was written last year. |
USE & AGREEMENT
In modern Spanish, the use of the reflexive passive is far more common than that of the periphrastic passive.
While both are grammatically correct, the reflexive passive is more frequently used in everyday conversations, general statements, and instructions, particularly when the agent is unknown, irrelevant, or unimportant or in contexts wherein direct responsibility is not emphasized.
A contrasting example would be:
Periphrastic passive: La decisión fue aprobada por el consejo. (The decision was approved by the board.)
Reflexive passive: Se aprobó la decisión. (The decision was approved.)
The first example emphasizes that the agent (el consejo/the board) approved the decision, while the second leaves the agent unspecified and centers merely on the decision being approved.
Agreement in the Periphrastic Passive
In the periphrastic passive voice, the past participle must always agree in gender and number with the patient subject.
For example: Las leyes fueron aprobadas por el parlamento (The laws were approved by the parliament).
Note how in the example above, the patient subject leyes (laws) is feminine and plural, so the past participle is also in the feminine and plural form (aprobadas).
| Los exámenes fueron dados por los profesores. | The exams were given by the professors. |
| La lección fue dada por los profesores. | The lesson was given by the professors. |
| La propuesta fue rechazada por el jefe. | The proposal was rejected by the boss. |
Note how the past participles dado/s, rechazada/s, and vendida/s change according to the gender and number of the subject.
Agreement in the Reflexive Passive
As there is no need for a past participle in the reflexive passive, the agreement is simpler than the periphrastic passive.
In the reflexive passive voice, the verb must agree in number with the patient subject as there is no past participle to modify.
| Se vendieron las obras de arte. | The art works were sold. |
| Se vendió la obra de arte. | The art work was sold. |
| Se abrieron las posibilidades. | The possibilities opened up. |
Note how the verbs (vendieron/vendió, abrieron/abrió, pintaron/pintó) agree in number with the patient subject.
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FAQs
What is the passive voice in Spanish?
The passive voice is a grammatical structure where the focus is on the action itself or the object of the action rather than the subject who performs it.
How do you form the passive voice in Spanish?
The passive voice is formed with a form of the verb ser (to be) + the past participle of the main verb, for example, El libro fue escrito por el autor (“The book was written by the author”).
When is the passive voice used in Spanish?
The passive voice is often used in formal contexts, written language, or when the performer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or implied.
Can all verbs be used in the passive voice?
Most transitive verbs (those that take a direct object) can be used in the passive voice, but it’s less common with intransitive verbs (those without a direct object).
What difference with the “se” passive in Spanish?
The “se” passive uses se + a verb in the third person to express actions without focusing on the subject, like Se venden frutas (“Fruits are sold”), which is commonly used in everyday speech.
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