Grammar / B1 : Intermediate / The passive voice
The passive voice
Formation and use: Le livre est lu par l'étudiant.
Reversing the focus
The passive voice shifts the focus from the doer of an action to the receiver. Instead of "someone does something" (active), the passive presents "something is done (by someone)". The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence, and the original subject becomes an optional agent introduced by par.
French uses the passive less frequently than English, and often prefers on or a reflexive construction instead. Recognising and producing the passive is an important B1 skill.
1. Formation
The passive is formed with the verb être conjugated in the required tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. The past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject of the passive sentence.
Passive = être (conjugated) + past participle (agreed with subject)
Active: Le directeur signe le document. (The director signs the document.)
Passive: Le document est signé par le directeur. (The document is signed by the director.)
Agreement of the past participle
The past participle agrees with the subject of the passive sentence: the entity that receives the action.
| Subject | Agreement | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | - | Le document est signé. |
| Feminine singular | -e | La lettre est signée. |
| Masculine plural | -s | Les documents sont signés. |
| Feminine plural | -es | Les lettres sont signées. |
2. Passive in all tenses
The tense of the passive is carried by the auxiliary être. The past participle remains unchanged regardless of tense.
| Tense | être form | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| présent | est / sont | Le rapport est rédigé par l'équipe. | The report is being written by the team. |
| imparfait | était / étaient | La loi était respectée. | The law was respected. |
| passé composé | a été / ont été | La décision a été prise. | The decision was taken. |
| futur simple | sera / seront | Les résultats seront publiés demain. | The results will be published tomorrow. |
| conditionnel présent | serait / seraient | Ce projet serait financé par l'État. | This project would be funded by the State. |
| subjonctif présent | soit / soient | Bien que la loi soit votée... | Although the law is passed... |
💡 The passé composé passive uses a été + past participle; a été is itself a compound form, so the passive passé composé is three words:
La lettre a été envoyée. (The letter was sent.)
Les résultats ont été publiés. (The results were published.)
3. Active → passive transformation
Step 1: Direct object of active → becomes subject of passive
Step 2: Subject of active → becomes agent (par + noun), optional
Step 3: Verb → être (in same tense) + past participle (agreed with new subject)
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| Le directeur signe la lettre. (présent) | La lettre est signée par le directeur. |
| Le chef a préparé le repas. (passé composé) | Le repas a été préparé par le chef. |
| Le gouvernement votera la loi. (futur) | La loi sera votée par le gouvernement. |
| Des milliers de personnes regardaient le match. (imparfait) | Le match était regardé par des milliers de personnes. |
| La police a arrêté le suspect. | Le suspect a été arrêté par la police. |
4. The agent : par vs de
When the agent (the doer) is expressed, it is most often introduced by par. A smaller group of verbs expressing states, emotions, or accompanying circumstances uses de instead.
par : the standard agent marker
La maison a été construite par des ouvriers italiens. (The house was built by Italian workers.)
Ce livre a été écrit par un auteur japonais. (This book was written by a Japanese author.)
Le voleur a été arrêté par la police. (The thief was arrested by the police.)
de : with verbs expressing states or feelings
Il est aimé de tous ses collègues. (He is loved by all his colleagues.)
Elle est connue de tout le monde. (She is known by everyone.)
La maison est entourée d'arbres. (The house is surrounded by trees.)
Le président est accompagné de ses collaborateurs. (The president is accompanied by his associates.)
Le sol est couvert de neige. (The ground is covered with snow.)
💡 de tends to appear with verbs describing a state or relationship rather than a concrete action: être aimé de, être connu de, être entouré de, être suivi de, être accompagné de, être couvert de, être apprécié de.
5. When no agent is expressed
One of the main reasons to use the passive is precisely when the agent is unknown, unimportant, or better left unstated. In French texts and journalism, the passive without an agent is very common.
La décision a été prise. (The decision has been taken.) (by whom is irrelevant or unknown)
Ce pont a été construit en 1920. (This bridge was built in 1920.) (agent not important)
Les résultats seront publiés demain. (The results will be published tomorrow.)
Trois personnes ont été blessées dans l'accident. (Three people were injured in the accident.)
6. Verbs that cannot be passivised
Only transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) can be used in the passive. Intransitive verbs (those with no direct object) and verbs whose construction prevents a passive transformation cannot be passivised.
| Category | Examples | Why no passive |
|---|---|---|
| Intransitive verbs | arriver, partir, tomber, dormir, marcher | No direct object to become the passive subject |
| Être-auxiliary verbs | aller, venir, naître, mourir, rester | Already use être in compound tenses (different meaning) |
| Verbs + indirect object only | parler à, téléphoner à, obéir à | The complement is indirect (à), not a direct object |
⚠ In French, unlike English, indirect objects cannot become passive subjects.
❌ Il a été téléphoné par Marie. (impossible in French)
✓ Marie lui a téléphoné. (active only)
7. Alternatives to the passive
French tends to avoid the passive more than English does, especially when the agent is a person. Two common alternatives carry the same meaning with a more natural French feel.
on : impersonal subject
on is extremely common in French as an alternative to the passive when no specific agent is mentioned. It sounds more natural in everyday speech.
| Passive | With on |
|---|---|
| La décision a été prise. | On a pris la décision. (They/people made the decision.) |
| Le français est parlé dans 50 pays. | On parle français dans 50 pays. (French is spoken in 50 countries.) |
| Vous serez contacté demain. | On vous contactera demain. (You will be contacted tomorrow.) |
Pronominal / reflexive construction
A reflexive verb form can express a general passive meaning, especially for habitual truths or general facts. The subject is always a thing, not a person.
Ce vin se boit frais. (This wine is drunk chilled.)
Ces livres se vendent bien. (These books sell well. / These books are sold well.)
Le français se parle dans 50 pays. (French is spoken in 50 countries.)
Ça ne se fait pas. (That's not done.)
Ce mot ne s'utilise plus. (This word is no longer used.)
8. Key points
✓ Passive = être (conjugated in required tense) + past participle (agreed with subject)
✓ Past participle agrees in gender and number with the passive subject
✓ The tense is carried by être: est signé (présent) / a été signé (PC) / sera signé (futur)
✓ Agent: usually par, but de with verbs of state or feeling (aimé de, connu de, entouré de)
✓ Agent is often omitted (this is one of the main reasons to use the passive)
✓ Only transitive verbs can be passivised (no indirect object constructions)
✓ Alternative 1: on + active verb (more natural in speech)
✓ Alternative 2: reflexive construction (se boit, se vend, se fait) for general truths