🎓 Prepared by students from Boğaziçi University

What is Passive Voice?

Passive voice in French shifts focus from the subject performing an action to the person or thing receiving it. Instead of saying 'Marie writes the letter,' you say 'The letter is written by Marie.' It uses être (to be) plus the past participle.

Short answer

Passive voice is formed with être + past participle: 'Le gâteau est mangé par Marie' (The cake is eaten by Marie). The agent (by-phrase) can be omitted if it's clear from context.

Active vs Passive Voice

Active Voice

•Subject performs action
•Marie écrit la lettre
•Focus on the doer

Passive Voice

•Subject receives action
•La lettre est écrite par Marie
•Focus on receiver

Step-by-step worked examples

Convert to passive: 'Le boulanger vend le pain.'

Identify verb: vend (present)
Form passive: être (present) + past participle (vendu)
Result: Le pain est vendu par le boulanger.
Meaning: The bread is sold by the baker.

Convert to passive: 'Les enfants ont cassé la vitre.'

Identify verb: ont cassé (passé composé)
Form passive: être (passé composé) + past participle (cassée)
Result: La vitre a été cassée par les enfants.
Meaning: The window has been broken by the children.

Convert to passive: 'On construira la maison l'année prochaine.'

Identify verb: construira (future)
Form passive: être (future) + past participle (construite)
Result: La maison sera construite l'année prochaine.
Meaning: The house will be built next year.

Flashcards

Quick quiz

Q1.Which is the correct passive form of 'Marie achète les fleurs'?

Correct answer: A. Passive = être + past participle. 'achète' → 'achetées' (feminine plural to match 'fleurs'). Only option 0 is correct.

Q2.What is the passé composé passive of 'J'ai vu le film'?

Correct answer: A. Passé composé passive uses 'a été' + past participle. Only option 0 is correct.

Q3.Which sentence can be converted to passive?

Correct answer: C. Only transitive verbs (with direct objects) form passive. 'publier' is transitive; 'dormir,' 'sembler,' and 'ressembler' are intransitive or reflexive.

Q4.Passive voice shifts focus from _ to _.

Correct answer: B. Passive voice emphasizes what receives the action, not who does it.

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Common mistakes

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Using avoir instead of être in passive voice. — Correct: Always use être: 'Le gâteau est mangé' NOT 'Le gâteau a mangé.'

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Forgetting agreement of the past participle. — Correct: Participle agrees with subject: 'Les maisons sont construites' (feminine plural).

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Thinking all verbs can be passive. — Correct: Only transitive verbs (with direct objects) form passive. 'dormir' → no passive.

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Writing 'par' instead of leaving it out when context is clear. — Correct: Agent phrase 'par + noun' is optional: 'La porte est fermée' is valid.

FAQ

What is passive voice in French?

Passive voice shifts focus from the subject performing an action to the thing or person receiving it. Formed with être + past participle.

How do you form the passive voice?

Use être in any tense + past participle. Example present: 'Le gâteau est mangé.' Example passé composé: 'Le gâteau a été mangé.'

Do past participles agree in passive voice?

Yes — the participle agrees with the subject in gender and number: 'La maison est construite' (feminine singular).

Can intransitive verbs be passive?

No — only transitive verbs (those with direct objects) can be passive. 'Dormir' (to sleep) cannot be passive.