Spanish, like English, uses the passive voice to emphasize the action or the receiver of the action rather than who performs it. There are two main ways to form the passive voice in Spanish: the ser passive and the se passive.
Ser Passive
The ser passive is formed with the verb ser + past participle (agreeing in gender and number with the subject).
Formation
| Spanish Sentence |
|---|
| La carta fue escrita por Ana. |
| English Translation |
Usage
- Used to emphasize the action and its result.
- Common in formal writing and where the doer is mentioned (introduced by por).
Se Passive
The se passive (or passive se) is formed using se + verb (in third person singular or plural, according to the noun).
Formation
| Spanish Sentence |
|---|
| La carta fue escrita por Ana. |
| English Translation |
Usage
- Used for general statements or when the doer is unknown or irrelevant.
- More common in everyday language.
Differences
Examples
| Spanish Sentence |
|---|
| El informe fue terminado por el equipo. |
| English Translation |
| Type |
| Ser passive |
Summary
- Use ser + past participle for a traditional passive construction, especially when naming the agent.
- Use se + verb for a more impersonal, widely used passive form.
- Both forms shift the focus from the doer to the action or its recipient.
- Gender and number agreement is important in the ser passive but not in the se passive.
- Choose the form that best fits the context and emphasis you want to convey.
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Last updated: Thu Jul 17, 2025