The passive voice in French allows the focus to shift from the subject performing an action to the object receiving the action. It's particularly useful when the doer of the action is unknown, irrelevant, or when the emphasis is on the action itself.
Structure
The passive voice in French is formed with the verb "être" (to be) followed by the past participle of the main verb. The past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject. The agent (doer of the action) is introduced by "par" (by).
Formula
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Subject + être (conjugated) + Past Participle + (par + Agent)
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Example:
- Active: Le professeur corrige les devoirs.
(The teacher corrects the assignments.)
- Passive: Les devoirs sont corrigés par le professeur.
(The assignments are corrected by the teacher.)
Conjugation
The passive voice is used in various tenses. Here’s how it looks in some common tenses:
Present Tense
- La lettre est écrite par Marie.
(The letter is written by Marie.)
Past Tense (Passé Composé)
- La porte a été ouverte par Jean.
(The door was opened by Jean.)
Imperfect Tense
- La chanson était chantée par l'artiste.
(The song was sung by the artist.)
Future Tense
- Le projet sera présenté par l'équipe.
(The project will be presented by the team.)
Future Perfect
- Les documents auront été vérifiés par le directeur.
(The documents will have been checked by the director.)
Pluperfect
- La maison avait été vendue par l'agent immobilier.
(The house had been sold by the real estate agent.)
Conditional Present
- Le livre serait lu par tous les élèves.
(The book would be read by all the students.)
Conditional Perfect
- Le message aurait été envoyé par Sophie.
(The message would have been sent by Sophie.)
Subjunctive Present
- Il est important que la tâche soit accomplie par l’équipe.
(It is important that the task be accomplished by the team.)
Agreement
In the passive voice, the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject:
- Les portes sont ouvertes.
(The doors are opened.)
- La fenêtre a été cassée.
(The window was broken.)
Usage
The passive voice is commonly used in the following situations:
- When the focus is on the action rather than the subject:
(A new school was built.)
- When the subject is unknown or unimportant:
(The car was stolen.)
- In formal writing or reports:
(The results will be announced tomorrow.)
Active vs. Passive Voice
Here’s a comparison between active and passive sentences to illustrate the shift in focus:
| Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
| Le chef prépare le repas.<br>(The chef prepares the meal.) | Le repas est préparé par le chef.<br>(The meal is prepared by the chef.) |
| Les ingénieurs ont conçu le pont.<br>(The engineers designed the bridge.) | Le pont a été conçu par les ingénieurs.<br>(The bridge was designed by the engineers.) |
| Les étudiants lisent le livre.<br>(The students read the book.) | Le livre est lu par les étudiants.<br>(The book is read by the students.) |
Common Verbs in the Passive Voice
Some verbs are frequently used in the passive voice, especially in formal or written contexts:
- être accusé de (to be accused of)
- être connu pour (to be known for)
- être fait de (to be made of)
- être publié par (to be published by)
- être utilisé par (to be used by)
Key Points to Remember
- The passive voice shifts the focus from the doer of the action to the recipient of the action.
- The past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.
- The agent of the action (if mentioned) is introduced by "par."
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Practice Exercises
Convert the following active sentences into passive voice:
- Le jardinier plante les arbres.
- La police a arrêté le suspect.
- Les enfants dessinent des images.
- L’ingénieur réparera la machine.
- Le journaliste a écrit l’article.
Answers
- Les arbres sont plantés par le jardinier.
- Le suspect a été arrêté par la police.
- Les images sont dessinées par les enfants.
- La machine sera réparée par l’ingénieur.
- L’article a été écrit par le journaliste.
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By mastering the passive voice, you can enhance your ability to express ideas where the action or its recipient is more important than who performed it.