A2 Passive & Reported Speech 4 min read سهل

Passive in Present

Just add an 's' to your verb to make it passive and focus on the action, not the actor.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

The Swedish passive is formed by adding an '-s' to the verb, shifting focus from the doer to the action.

  • Add -s to the present tense verb: 'läser' (reads) becomes 'läses' (is read).
  • The agent (the person doing the action) is usually omitted in passive sentences.
  • If the verb already ends in -s, use 'blir' + past participle instead.
Verb + s = Passive Action (e.g., 'Boken läses' - The book is read)

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## Overview
In Swedish, the passive voice is a fundamental tool for shifting focus. When you use the active voice, like 'Jag bygger huset' (I build the house), the focus is on 'Jag'. When you use the passive, 'Huset byggs' (The house is being built), the focus shifts entirely to the house.
This is incredibly useful in professional settings, news reports, and instructions where the 'who' is less important than the 'what'. The most common way to form this in Swedish is the 's-passive'. It is elegant and compact, often replacing longer constructions found in English.
You will see this everywhere from signs in airports to formal emails. Mastering this will make your Swedish sound much more natural and native-like.
## How to Form It
Formation is straightforward. Take the present tense of a verb and add an '-s'. For example, 'skriver' (writes) becomes 'skrivs' (is written).
If the verb ends in a vowel, you might just add 's'. If the verb already ends in 's' or is irregular, we use the 'blir' construction: 'blir' + past participle. For example, 'blir sedd' (is seen).
Negatives are formed by adding 'inte' after the verb: 'Boken läses inte' (The book is not read). Questions simply invert the verb and subject: 'Läses boken?' (Is the book read?).
## Common Mistakes
The biggest mistake is overusing the passive. Don't use it when you need to be clear about who did what. Another error is confusing the s-passive with reflexive verbs (like 'känna sig').
Remember that 'känns' is passive, but 'känner sig' is reflexive. Finally, don't try to add an agent with 'av' (by) too often; while grammatically possible, it sounds clunky in Swedish. Keep it simple and agentless.
## How It's Different From...
The s-passive is often confused with the 'blir-passive'. The s-passive describes a state or a general action, while the 'blir-passive' emphasizes the process of the action happening. Think of 's-passive' as 'it is done' and 'blir-passive' as 'it is being done'.
## CEFR-Level Explanations
A1: In Swedish, we can change verbs to focus on things. If you have a verb like 'läsa' (read), you add an 's' to make it 'läses' (is read). This is useful when you don't know who is doing the action. It is very common in signs and books.
A2: At this level, you should start using the s-passive for daily routines. Instead of saying 'People eat lunch at 12', you can say 'Lunch äts klockan tolv'. Remember that you can also use 'blir' + past participle for more complex verbs that don't take an 's' easily.
Practice turning active sentences into passive ones.
B1: The s-passive is essential for formal writing and professional communication. You will encounter it in news articles and official documents. It is important to distinguish between the s-passive, which often implies a habitual or general action, and the 'blir-passive', which focuses on the dynamic process.
Be careful not to include an agent unless absolutely necessary, as it often sounds unnatural in Swedish.
B2: Advanced learners should master the nuances of the s-passive versus the periphrastic passive. While the s-passive is morphologically efficient, it is restricted to certain verb types. You should be able to identify when the s-passive is stylistically preferred over the 'blir' construction.
Furthermore, understand the role of 'det' as a formal subject in passive constructions to maintain flow in complex academic or journalistic prose.
C1: At the C1 level, you should analyze the s-passive in the context of register and genre. It is a hallmark of 'kanslisvenska' (bureaucratic Swedish). You should be able to manipulate passive structures to achieve specific rhetorical effects, such as distancing the speaker from the action or creating an objective, impersonal tone in argumentative essays.
C2: Mastery of the s-passive involves understanding its historical evolution from the Old Norse reflexive pronoun 'sik'. You should recognize dialectal variations and archaic usages where the s-passive functions differently than in modern standard Swedish. You can effortlessly navigate the boundary between the s-passive, the 'blir'-passive, and the 'få'-passive, choosing the most precise construction for any given pragmatic context.

Meanings

The passive voice is used when the action is more important than who performs it, or when the performer is unknown.

1

General Passive

Focusing on the object receiving the action.

“Dörren låses varje kväll.”

“Mat serveras klockan tolv.”

2

General Truths

Describing habits or universal facts.

“Här talas det svenska.”

“Det sägs att han är rik.”

S-Passive Formation

Active Present Passive Form Meaning
läser läses is read
skriver skrivs is written
bygger byggs is built
säljer säljs is sold
talar talas is spoken
gör görs is done

Reference Table

Reference table for Passive in Present
Form Structure Example
Affirmative Verb + s Boken läses.
Negative Verb + s + inte Boken läses inte.
Question Verb + s + Subject? Läses boken?
Blir-Passive Blir + Participle Huset blir byggt.
Dummy Subject Det + Verb + s Det sägs att...
Past Tense Verb + des Boken lästes.

طيف الرسمية

رسمي
Dörren låses.

Dörren låses. (Security)

محايد
Dörren låses.

Dörren låses. (Security)

غير رسمي
Man låser dörren.

Man låser dörren. (Security)

عامية
Dörren är låst.

Dörren är låst. (Security)

Passive Voice Concept Map

S-Passive

Usage

  • News Nyheter
  • Instructions Instruktioner

Formation

  • Verb + s Add -s
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Examples by Level

1

Boken läses.

The book is read.

2

Mat serveras.

Food is served.

3

Huset målas.

The house is painted.

4

Det görs.

It is done.

1

Här talas det svenska.

Swedish is spoken here.

2

Dörren låses kl 20.

The door is locked at 8 PM.

3

Kaffe dricks ofta.

Coffee is often drunk.

4

Brevet skrivs nu.

The letter is being written now.

1

Beslut fattas av styrelsen.

Decisions are made by the board.

2

Regler följs alltid.

Rules are always followed.

3

Information ges på kontoret.

Information is given at the office.

4

Möten hålls på måndagar.

Meetings are held on Mondays.

1

Det antas att priserna stiger.

It is assumed that prices will rise.

2

Frågan diskuteras ingående.

The issue is discussed in depth.

3

Resultaten presenteras imorgon.

The results are presented tomorrow.

4

Lösningen anses vara bäst.

The solution is considered to be best.

1

Det påstås att författaren var anonym.

It is claimed that the author was anonymous.

2

Hänsyn tas till alla parter.

Consideration is given to all parties.

3

Det efterfrågas mer transparens.

More transparency is requested.

4

Det råder stor osäkerhet.

There is great uncertainty.

1

Det må så vara, men...

That may be so, but...

2

Det föreslås att förslaget bordläggs.

It is proposed that the motion be tabled.

3

Det betraktas som en självklarhet.

It is regarded as a matter of course.

4

Det förväntas att normen upprätthålls.

It is expected that the norm is upheld.

Easily Confused

Passive in Present مقابل Reflexive Verbs

Both end in -s.

أخطاء شائعة

✗

Jag läses boken.

✓

Boken läses.

Passive sentences don't have a subject performing the action.
✗

Boken är läses.

✓

Boken läses.

Don't add 'är' with s-passive.
✗

Det säljs bilar av honom.

✓

Bilar säljs.

Avoid adding an agent with 'av'.
✗

Han känns glad.

✓

Han känner sig glad.

Confusing passive with reflexive.
✗

Det blir gjorts.

✓

Det görs.

Mixing blir-passive and s-passive.

Sentence Patterns

___ läses varje dag.

Real World Usage

News constant

Banken rånas.

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💡

Keep it simple

Don't add 'av' (by) unless you really have to.

Smart Tips

Use passive to sound objective.

Jag gör det. → Det görs.

النطق

läses -> /le:ses/

S-ending

The 's' is pronounced as a sharp /s/ sound.

Falling

Boken läses ↘

Statement of fact.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

The 'S' stands for 'Shift'—you shift the focus to the object.

Visual Association

Imagine a book floating in the air with an 'S' glowing on its cover; it's being read by no one in particular.

Rhyme

When the actor is out of sight, add an 's' to make it right.

Story

The baker is gone. The bread is baked. The shop is opened. The bread is sold. Everything happens without the baker.

Word Web

läsesskrivsbyggssäljstalasgörs

تحدٍّ

Look at 5 objects in your room and describe them using the passive voice (e.g., 'Lampan tänds').

ملاحظات ثقافية

The passive is heavily used in official Swedish to sound objective.

Comes from the Old Norse reflexive pronoun 'sik'.

Conversation Starters

“

Vad görs i Sverige på midsommar?

Journal Prompts

Describe your daily routine using the passive.
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Test Yourself

Add -s to the verb.

Boken ___ (läsa).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: läses
Passive requires -s.

Score: /1

تمارين تطبيقية

1 exercises
Add -s to the verb.

Boken ___ (läsa).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: läses
Passive requires -s.

Score: /1

الأسئلة الشائعة (1)

Most, but some irregular ones use 'blir'.

Sign up free to practice

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Se vende

Spanish 'se' is a pronoun; Swedish '-s' is a suffix.

German moderate

wird gemacht

Swedish is more compact.

French partial

on fait

Swedish is more formal.

Japanese high

~reru

Japanese conjugation is more complex.

Arabic low

Passive form

Swedish uses suffixes.

Chinese low

bei

Swedish is synthetic.

Previous
S-passive
Next
Passive in Past

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