Passive with 'Biti' + Past Passive Participle
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'biti' plus a past passive participle to show something was done to a subject, focusing on the result.
- Combine 'biti' (to be) with the Past Passive Participle. Example: 'Knjiga je napisana' (The book is written).
- The participle must match the subject in gender and number. Example: 'Pismo je poslano' (The letter is sent).
- Use this form for states or formal reports rather than everyday actions. Example: 'Trgovina je zatvorena' (The shop is closed).
Forming the Passive (Present Tense)
| Subject | Biti (Auxiliary) | Participle (Example: 'prodati') | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ja (m)
|
sam
|
prodan
|
I am sold
|
|
Ti (f)
|
si
|
prodana
|
You are sold
|
|
On (m)
|
je
|
prodan
|
He is sold
|
|
Ona (f)
|
je
|
prodana
|
She is sold
|
|
Ono (n)
|
je
|
prodano
|
It is sold
|
|
Mi (m.pl)
|
smo
|
prodani
|
We are sold
|
|
Vi (f.pl)
|
ste
|
prodane
|
You all are sold
|
|
Oni (m.pl)
|
su
|
prodani
|
They are sold
|
Common Participle Endings
| Infinitive | Stem Change | Masc. Participle | Fem. Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Dati (give)
|
da-
|
dan
|
dana
|
|
Vidjeti (see)
|
vid-
|
viđen
|
viđena
|
|
Donijeti (bring)
|
donij-
|
donesen
|
donesena
|
|
Otkriti (discover)
|
otkri-
|
otkriven
|
otkrivena
|
|
Zauzeti (occupy)
|
zauze-
|
zauzet
|
zauzeta
|
Meanings
The passive voice with 'biti' is used to describe a state resulting from an action or to report an event where the doer is unknown or unimportant.
Resultative State
Focuses on the current condition of an object after an action has finished.
“Prozor je razbijen.”
“Vrata su zaključana.”
Formal Reporting
Used in news, laws, and official documents to state facts objectively.
“Zakon je usvojen u saboru.”
“Novi most će biti izgrađen iduće godine.”
Historical/Narrative Passive
Describing historical events or completed processes in literature.
“Grad je utemeljen u 13. stoljeću.”
“Pjesma je posvećena njegovoj majci.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subj + biti + PPP
|
Knjiga je pročitana. (The book is read.)
|
|
Negative
|
Subj + nije + PPP
|
Knjiga nije pročitana. (The book isn't read.)
|
|
Question
|
Je li + Subj + PPP?
|
Je li knjiga pročitana? (Is the book read?)
|
|
Past
|
Subj + je bio/la + PPP
|
Knjiga je bila pročitana. (The book was read.)
|
|
Future
|
Subj + će biti + PPP
|
Knjiga će biti pročitana. (The book will be read.)
|
|
Plural
|
Subj(pl) + su + PPP(pl)
|
Knjige su pročitane. (The books are read.)
|
|
Conditional
|
Subj + bi bio/la + PPP
|
Knjiga bi bila pročitana. (The book would be read.)
|
طيف الرسمية
Prodavaonica je zatvorena. (Business hours)
Trgovina je zatvorena. (Business hours)
Dućan je zatvoren. (Business hours)
Fajront je. (Business hours)
The Passive Ingredients
Auxiliary
- biti to be
Main Verb
- trpni pridjev passive participle
Agreement
- rod i broj gender and number
Active vs Passive
How to choose the ending?
Is the subject masculine?
Is the subject feminine?
Is it plural?
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Prozor je otvoren.
The window is open.
Vrata su zatvorena.
The doors are closed.
Kava je popijena.
The coffee is drunk (finished).
Ručak je gotov.
Lunch is ready (done).
Auto je prodan jučer.
The car was sold yesterday.
Pismo je bilo poslano.
The letter had been sent.
Soba je rezervirana.
The room is reserved.
Kolači su pojedeni.
The cookies are eaten.
Novi zakon je usvojen.
The new law has been passed.
Svi detalji su dogovoreni.
All details have been agreed upon.
Most će biti izgrađen uskoro.
The bridge will be built soon.
Ona je izabrana za predsjednicu.
She was elected as president.
Izvještaj je detaljno analiziran.
The report has been analyzed in detail.
Pitanje je bilo pogrešno shvaćeno.
The question was misunderstood.
Sredstva su već dodijeljena projektu.
The funds have already been allocated to the project.
Vaša molba je uzeta u obzir.
Your request has been taken into consideration.
Odluka je donesena pod pritiskom javnosti.
The decision was made under public pressure.
Njegov rad je okrunjen uspjehom.
His work was crowned with success.
Grad je bio opkoljen mjesecima.
The city was besieged for months.
Sve su sumnje bile otklonjene.
All doubts were removed.
Ustavom je zajamčena sloboda govora.
Freedom of speech is guaranteed by the Constitution.
Zločin je počinjen iz nehaja.
The crime was committed out of negligence.
Čitava je regija bila pogođena sušom.
The entire region was affected by drought.
Njegovo je ime bilo okaljano lažima.
His name was tarnished by lies.
سهل الخلط
Learners don't know when to use 'se' vs 'biti'.
Learners confuse 'bio sam' (I was) with 'bio sam + PPP' (I was [done]).
Some adjectives look like participles.
أخطاء شائعة
Vrata je zatvoren.
Vrata su zatvorena.
Kava je popiti.
Kava je popijena.
Pismo je poslan.
Pismo je poslano.
Ja sam bio kazniti.
Bio sam kažnjen.
Knjiga je se napisana.
Knjiga je napisana.
On je bio ubijen od policije.
Policija ga je ubila.
Zakon je bivao donesen.
Zakon je donesen.
أنماط الجُمل
___ je ___.
Sve je bilo ___ na vrijeme.
U vijestima je rečeno da je ___ ___.
Ovaj problem će biti ___ do sutra.
Real World Usage
Uhićen pljačkaš banke.
Zabranjen prolaz.
Meso je posluženo s povrćem.
Diplomirao sam i primljen sam u tvrtku.
Ručak je gotov, dođi!
Ovaj ugovor je potpisan od obje strane.
The 'T' or 'N' Rule
Avoid 'Od Strane'
Check the Subject First
Politeness
Smart Tips
Use the passive to report that a task is finished without focusing on yourself.
This is often a result of 'jotation' (j + consonant). For example, 'vid-jen' becomes 'viđen'.
Use the past passive to set the stage.
If the group is mixed (men and women), always use the masculine plural ending -ni.
النطق
Participle Stress
The stress often shifts to the syllable before the -n or -t ending.
Declarative Passive
Vrata su zatvorena. ↘
A simple statement of fact.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Remember 'B-P-P': Biti + Participle = Passive. Just like 'Be + Past Participle' in English!
ربط بصري
Imagine a factory conveyor belt. We don't see the workers (the doers), we only see the finished products (the subjects) with labels on them (the participles).
Rhyme
When the work is done and the doer is gone, use 'biti' and the participle form!
Story
A detective arrives at a crime scene. He doesn't know who did it, so he only describes what he sees: 'The safe is opened (Sef je otvoren), the money is taken (Novac je uzet), and the window is broken (Prozor je razbijen).'
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Look around your room. Find 5 things and describe their state using the passive. (e.g., 'The light is turned on', 'The bed is made').
ملاحظات ثقافية
In formal speeches and TV news, the 'biti' passive is used to maintain an air of authority and objectivity.
In coastal regions, people often use the active 'oni su' (they have) even when the doer is unknown, avoiding the passive.
Bureaucratic Croatian is famous for overusing the passive to avoid naming responsible officials.
The passive in Slavic languages originally relied heavily on the reflexive 'se'. The 'biti' + PPP construction was influenced by Latin and later German/French models of formal writing.
بدايات محادثة
Je li tvoj stan iznajmljen ili kupljen?
Što je sve pripremljeno za tvoj rođendan?
Koji su zakoni nedavno usvojeni u tvojoj zemlji?
Je li tvoja omiljena knjiga ikada ekranizirana?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
Kuća je ___.
Prozori ___ razbijeni.
Find and fix the mistake:
Pismo je poslan jučer.
Knjiga ___ ___.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
The 'biti' passive is more common in spoken language than the 'se' passive.
A: Je li večera spremna? B: Da, sve je ___.
Identify the passive sentence.
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesKuća je ___.
Prozori ___ razbijeni.
Find and fix the mistake:
Pismo je poslan jučer.
Knjiga ___ ___.
1. Vidjeti, 2. Otvoriti, 3. Donijeti
The 'biti' passive is more common in spoken language than the 'se' passive.
A: Je li večera spremna? B: Da, sve je ___.
Identify the passive sentence.
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
No, only with transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object). You can't make 'to go' or 'to sleep' passive in this way.
In practice, they look the same. As a participle, it implies an action happened (`Vrata su otvorena` - someone opened them). As an adjective, it just describes the state.
You can use `od strane + genitive`, but it's often better to just use the active voice. `Knjiga je napisana od strane Marka` is grammatically okay but sounds like a translation.
It depends on the verb stem. Verbs ending in -uti (like `dignuti`) or some in -eti (like `zauzeti`) often take -t. Most others take -n, -en, or -jen.
Yes! `Bit će učinjeno` (It will be done). It's very common for promises or official plans.
Yes, if you are addressing one person formally, the participle still stays in the plural form to match the grammatical plural of `Vi`.
Yes, e.g., `On je ranjen` (He is wounded) or `Ona je izabrana` (She is elected).
Standard Croatian uses `donesen`, though you might hear `donešen` in some dialects. Stick to `donesen` for exams!
Scaffolded Practice
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
to be + past participle
Croatian participles must agree in gender and number; English ones do not.
sein + Partizip II
German has a separate auxiliary for the action passive (werden).
ser + participio
Spanish participles also agree in gender and number.
être + participe passé
French uses the passive much more frequently than Croatian.
〜られる (rareru)
Japanese passive is morphological (suffix), Croatian is periphrastic (auxiliary + participle).
Internal Passive (vowel change)
Arabic does not use an auxiliary verb like 'biti'.
被 (bèi) + Verb
Chinese has no verb conjugation or gender agreement.
