B2 Passive & Reported Speech 5 min read Difícil

Passive Nuances

Choose -s for formal/general facts and 'bli' for specific actions, especially when reporting rumors or opinions.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Swedish passives shift focus from 'who did it' to 'what happened' using either an -s ending or the auxiliary 'bli'.

  • Use s-passiv for formal instructions or timeless truths: 'Dörren stängs' (The door is closed).
  • Use bli-passiv for specific, dynamic events: 'Han blev biten' (He was/got bitten).
  • Reported passive uses 'sägs' or 'anses' to distance the speaker from the claim.
Object + Verb-s OR Object + bli + Past Participle

Overview

## Overview of the Swedish Passive
In Swedish, the passive voice is much more than just a grammatical flip of the active voice. It carries significant stylistic weight. While English primarily uses 'to be' + past participle, Swedish offers two distinct paths: the morphological s-passiv and the periphrastic bli-passiv.
The s-passiv is the hallmark of formal Swedish. You will see it in recipes (löken hackas), legal documents (lagen tillämpas), and news headlines. It feels objective and timeless.
On the other hand, the bli-passiv is dynamic. It describes something *happening* at a specific moment. If you say huset målas, you might mean the house is generally being painted this week.
If you say huset blir målat, you are focusing on the process of the paint hitting the wood right now.
At the B2 level, you must also master the 'reported passive'. This is how Swedes handle rumors or academic consensus. Instead of saying 'People say he is crazy', you say Han sägs vara galen.
This structure (Subject + Passive Verb + Infinitive) is a sophisticated way to attribute information without naming a specific source.
## How to Form the Passive
Forming the s-passiv requires looking at the verb group.
  1. 1Group 1 (-ar verbs): Remove the -r and add -s. *Kallar* becomes *kallas*.
  2. 2Group 2 & 3 (-er verbs): Remove the -er/-r and add -s. *Stänger* becomes *stängs*; *Syr* becomes *sys*.
  3. 3Past Tense: Add -s to the preterite form. *Kallade* becomes *kallades*; *Stängde* becomes *stängdes*.
For the bli-passiv, you use the auxiliary verb bli (conjugated for tense) followed by the past participle. Crucially, the past participle must agree with the subject in gender and number.
  • *En bil blev stulen* (Common gender, singular)
  • *Ett hus blev stulet* (Neuter gender, singular)
  • *Bilar blev stulna* (Plural)
In the reported passive, we often use verbs like sägs, anses, påstås, ryktas, or lär. The structure is usually: Subject + Passive Verb + (att) + Verb/Adjective. For example: Han anses (vara) kompetent (He is considered competent).
## When to Use It
In real-world Swedish, your choice of passive depends on the setting.
1. Professional/Academic Writing: Stick to the s-passiv. It sounds professional and avoids the 'clunky' feel of using 'man' (one/they) too often.
2. News & Reporting: Use the reported passive (påstås, lär) to remain neutral. If a journalist isn't 100% sure of a fact, they will use lär (e.g., Han lär ha lämnat landet - He is said to have left the country).
3. Daily Conversation: You will hear bli-passiv more often when something unexpected happens. 'Jag blev rånad!' (I was robbed!) sounds more natural than 'Jag rånades', which sounds like a police report.
4. Instructions: Recipes and manuals almost exclusively use the s-passiv in the present tense: Serveras kallt (Served cold).
## Common Mistakes
The biggest pitfall for learners is confusing the s-passiv with deponent verbs. Deponent verbs like andas (breathe), hoppas (hope), and minnas (remember) end in -s but are active in meaning. You cannot 'passive-ize' them further.
Another mistake is forgetting participle agreement in the bli-passiv. If the subject is bordet (the table, neuter), you must say bordet blev sålt, not såld.
Finally, avoid overusing the passive. Swedish prefers active sentences with man (one/they) in casual speech. Instead of saying Bilen tvättas av mig, just say Jag tvättar bilen.
## S-passiv vs. Bli-passiv
Think of the s-passiv as a state or a rule, and the bli-passiv as an action or a change.
Compare:
  1. 1Dörren låses klockan 22. (The door is locked at 10 PM - this is a rule/habit).
  2. 2Dörren blev låst av misstag. (The door was locked by mistake - this is a specific event that happened once).
Also, the s-passiv can imply a reciprocal action (doing something to each other) with certain verbs. Vi ses means 'We see each other', not 'We are seen'. De slogs means 'They fought each other', not 'They were hit'. The bli-passiv never has this reciprocal meaning.
## CEFR-Level Explanations
A1: In A1, you don't really use the passive. You focus on 'Jag gör' (I do). You might see 'Välkommen' or simple labels, but you won't form these verbs yet. Just know that some words end in -s.
A2: At A2, you learn that 'Huset är sålt' (The house is sold) describes a state. You start to see the -s ending in signs like 'Stängs' (Closed) or 'Här säljs glass' (Ice cream is sold here). It's about recognizing the form.
B1: In B1, you start using the s-passive for simple instructions and the bli-passive for things that happen to you, like 'Jag blev försenad' (I was delayed). You learn the basic conjugation rules for the three verb groups.
B2: At B2, you master the nuance. You choose between s-passiv and bli-passiv based on register. You also learn 'reported passive' like 'Det sägs att...' to discuss opinions and news. You distinguish between passive and deponent verbs.
C1: C1 learners use the passive to create flow in complex texts. You use the 'lär' auxiliary for hearsay and 'skall' for formal requirements. You understand the subtle difference between 'anses vara' and 'betraktas som'.
C2: At C2, you use the passive with stylistic precision. You might use archaic s-forms in legal contexts or play with the passive to avoid agency in political discourse. You have a native-like feel for when a passive sounds too stiff or perfectly formal.

Meanings

The passive voice in Swedish allows the speaker to emphasize the action or the recipient rather than the performer. It is also used to report information neutrally or formally.

1

S-passive (Formal/General)

Formed by adding -s to the verb. Used for instructions, laws, and general descriptions.

“Maten serveras klockan åtta.”

“Boken läses av många.”

2

Bli-passive (Dynamic/Event)

Formed with 'bli' + past participle. Focuses on a specific change or event.

“Han blev vald till ordförande.”

“Fönstret blev krossat av bollen.”

3

Reported Passive (Evidentiality)

Using passive verbs like 'sägs' (is said) or 'påstås' (is claimed) to report information without taking responsibility for its truth.

“Han sägs vara rik.”

“Det påstås att han har flytt.”

S-Passive vs. Bli-Passive Formation

Tense Active S-Passive Bli-Passive English Translation
Present målar målas blir målad is (being) painted
Past målade målades blev målad was painted
Perfect har målat har målats har blivit målad has been painted
Future ska måla ska målas ska bli målad will be painted
Infinitive måla målas bli målad to be painted
Supine målat målats blivit målad been painted

Reference Table

Reference table for Passive Nuances
Form Structure Example
S-Passive (Pres) Verb stem + -s Dörren öppnas.
S-Passive (Past) Preterite + -s Dörren öppnades.
Bli-Passive (Pres) blir + participle Han blir vald.
Bli-Passive (Past) blev + participle Han blev vald.
Reported (Rumor) sägs + infinitive Hon sägs bo här.
Reported (Opinion) anses + infinitive Det anses vara bra.
Reported (Hearsay) lär + infinitive De lär ha åkt.
Negative Passive inte + passive verb Det görs inte.

Espectro de formalidad

Formal
Dörren stängs klockan 22:00.

Dörren stängs klockan 22:00. (Daily routine/Rules)

Neutral
Dörren blir låst vid tio.

Dörren blir låst vid tio. (Daily routine/Rules)

Informal
De stänger dörren vid tio.

De stänger dörren vid tio. (Daily routine/Rules)

Jerga
De bommar igen vid tio.

De bommar igen vid tio. (Daily routine/Rules)

The Three Faces of the Swedish Passive

Passiv

S-Passiv

  • Formell Formal
  • Instruktioner Instructions

Bli-Passiv

  • Händelse Event
  • Dynamisk Dynamic

Rapporterad

  • Rykte Rumor
  • Journalistik Journalism

S-Passiv vs. Bli-Passiv

S-Passiv
Maten lagas Food is (generally) cooked
Bli-Passiv
Maten blir lagad Food is being cooked (now)

Which Passive Should I Use?

1

Is it a formal instruction?

YES
Use S-Passiv
NO
Next question
2

Is it a specific event that just happened?

YES
Use Bli-Passiv
NO
Use S-Passiv for general facts

Reported Passive Verbs

🗣️

Rumors

  • • sägs
  • • påstås
  • • ryktas
💭

Opinions

  • • anses
  • • betraktas
  • • tycks
👂

Hearsay

  • • lär
  • • skall
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Examples by Level

1

Huset är vitt.

The house is white.

2

Jag äter maten.

I eat the food.

3

Boken är här.

The book is here.

4

Här säljs kaffe.

Coffee is sold here.

1

Dörren är stängd.

The door is closed.

2

Maten lagas nu.

The food is being cooked now.

3

Han blev glad.

He became happy.

4

Bilen blev tvättad.

The car was washed.

1

Brevet skickades igår.

The letter was sent yesterday.

2

Jag blev bjuden på kaffe.

I was offered coffee.

3

Huset ska säljas snart.

The house will be sold soon.

4

Maten serveras med ris.

The food is served with rice.

1

Han sägs ha vunnit lotteriet.

He is said to have won the lottery.

2

Beslutet fattades under mötet.

The decision was made during the meeting.

3

De blev överraskade av nyheten.

They were surprised by the news.

4

Det anses vara en stor risk.

It is considered to be a big risk.

1

Projektet lär vara färdigt i maj.

The project is said to be finished in May.

2

Frågan bör belysas ur flera perspektiv.

The question should be highlighted from several perspectives.

3

Han påstås ha förskingrat pengar.

He is alleged to have embezzled money.

4

Det förutsätts att alla deltar.

It is assumed that everyone participates.

1

Härav följer att slutsatsen dras för snabbt.

From this it follows that the conclusion is drawn too quickly.

2

Vederbörande lär ha iakttagits på platsen.

The person in question is said to have been observed at the scene.

3

Det torde kunna ifrågasättas om detta är lagligt.

It ought to be possible to question whether this is legal.

4

Målet anses därmed vara uppnått.

The goal is thereby considered achieved.

Easily Confused

Passive Nuances vs Passive vs. Deponent

Both end in -s, but deponent verbs (andas, hoppas) are active. You can't say 'Jag blir hoppad' to mean 'I am hoped'.

Passive Nuances vs Passive vs. Reciprocal

S-endings can mean 'each other' (vi ses, de slogs).

Passive Nuances vs Bli-passiv vs. Vara-passiv

Bli focuses on the action; vara focuses on the result.

Errores comunes

✗

Jag är bjuden.

✓

Jag är glad.

A1s often use 'är' for everything; passive requires more complex forms.
✗

Maten äter.

✓

Maten äts.

Forgetting the -s makes the food the one doing the eating.
✗

Bilen bli tvättad.

✓

Bilen blir tvättad.

Forgetting to conjugate 'bli'.
✗

Jag hoppas det görs.

✓

Jag hoppas det görs.

Confusing 'hoppas' (active) with a passive form.
✗

Huset blev såld.

✓

Huset blev sålt.

Participle must agree with neuter 'hus'.
✗

De blev bjuden.

✓

De blev bjudna.

Participle must be plural.
✗

Dörren stängas.

✓

Dörren stängs.

Using the infinitive instead of the present tense.
✗

Jag blev andas.

✓

Jag andades.

Trying to make a deponent verb passive.
✗

Det sägs att han är rik.

✓

Han sägs vara rik.

B1s often use the 'att' clause instead of the more elegant infinitive construction.
✗

Boken läsas av mig.

✓

Boken läses av mig.

Incorrect vowel in s-passive.
✗

Han lär vara i London igår.

✓

Han lär ha varit i London igår.

Incorrect tense with 'lär'.
✗

Beslutet blev fattat.

✓

Beslutet fattades.

Using bli-passiv for a formal administrative action where s-passiv is expected.
✗

Det påstås honom vara...

✓

Han påstås vara...

Incorrect object-to-subject raising.

Sentence Patterns

Det ___ att ___.

Han/Hon/Det ___ vara ___.

Jag blev ___ av ___.

___ ___s klockan ___.

Real World Usage

News Headlines constant

Man greps efter rån.

Recipes very common

Löken stekes gyllenbrun.

Job Interviews common

Jag anses vara stresstålig.

Texting friends occasional

Jag blev helt chockad!

Legal Documents constant

Lagen tillämpas från och med juli.

Public Transport very common

Dörrarna stängs.

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🎯

The 'Man' Alternative

If the passive feels too stiff in speech, use 'man' (one/they). Instead of 'Bilen tvättas', say 'Man tvättar bilen'.
⚠️

Watch the Participle!

In bli-passive, the participle is an adjective. It MUST match the subject. Ett hus -> blivit sålt. En bil -> blivit såld.
💬

Hearsay with 'Lär'

Use 'lär' when you want to sound like you've heard a rumor but don't want to bet your life on it. It's very common in office gossip!
💡

Formal Writing

In essays, prefer s-passiv over bli-passiv to sound more academic and objective.

Smart Tips

Use s-passiv to sound more objective and polite.

Jag skickar fakturan nu. → Fakturan skickas härmed.

Use 'lär' to show you are just passing on information.

Han har slutat. → Han lär ha slutat.

Use bli-passiv to emphasize the suddenness of the event.

Bilen krockades. → Bilen blev påkörd.

Check if it's plural; it might mean 'each other'.

De ser varandra. → De ses.

Pronunciación

/stɛŋs/

The -s ending

The final -s is always voiceless, like in 'sit'. It does not change the stress of the verb.

/stʉːlt/ vs /stʉːlna/

Participle endings

In bli-passive, ensure the -t (neuter) or -a (plural) is clearly audible.

Reporting stress

Han SÄGS vara rik.

Stress on the passive verb emphasizes that it's a rumor, not a fact.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

S is for 'Static' or 'System' (S-passiv), B is for 'Boom!' or 'Becoming' (Bli-passiv).

Visual Association

Imagine a dusty law book with an '-s' on the cover for the formal S-passive. Imagine a video camera capturing a live action scene for the 'bli' passive.

Rhyme

När något händer här och nu, använd 'bli' så blir det ju! Men i lag och instruktion, är '-s' den rätta version.

Story

A chef is writing a recipe (S-passiv: 'löken hackas'). Suddenly, he gets burned (Bli-passiv: 'han blev bränd'). Later, the neighbors gossip about it (Reported: 'han sägs ha skrikit').

Word Web

sägsansespåståslärblirstängsfattas

Desafío

Write three sentences about your favorite dish: one using s-passiv (how it's made), one using bli-passiv (what happened when you made it), and one reported (what people say about it).

Notas culturales

The s-passive is the language of the 'Myndighet' (authority). Using it makes your writing sound official and objective.

Swedish journalists use 'lär' and 'skall' to avoid libel. It signals that the information comes from a source and isn't the paper's own claim.

Using 'bli-passiv' for personal mishaps (Jag blev sen) is common to avoid sounding like you are making a formal report about yourself.

The Swedish s-passive evolved from the Old Norse reflexive pronoun 'sik' (self).

Conversation Starters

“

Vad sägs om den nya filmen?

“

Har du någonsin blivit överraskad av en vän?

“

Hur fattas beslut på din arbetsplats?

“

Vad påstås vara den största utmaningen i samhället idag?

Journal Prompts

Skriv en kort nyhetsartikel om en händelse i din stad. Använd minst tre rapporterade passiv (sägs, påstås, lär).
Beskriv hur man lagar din favoriträtt steg för steg.
Berätta om en gång när du blev missförstådd.
Diskutera fördelar och nackdelar med passiv rökning.
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Test Yourself

Choose the correct passive form for a formal instruction. Opción múltiple

Dörren ___ klockan 22.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: stängs
S-passive is preferred for general rules and instructions.
Complete the bli-passive with the correct participle agreement.

Huset blev ___ (sälja) igår.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sålt
'Hus' is neuter (ett), so the participle must end in -t.
Correct the sentence: 'Han sägs att vara rik.' Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Han sägs att vara rik.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Han sägs vara rik.
With 'sägs' + infinitive, we don't use 'att'.
Change the active to s-passive: 'De fattade beslutet.' Sentence Transformation

De fattade beslutet.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Beslutet fattades.
The past tense of 'fatta' is 'fattade', so the passive is 'fattades'.
Match the verb with its passive meaning. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-Rumor, 2-Opinion, 3-Event
Sägs = is said (rumor), Anses = is considered (opinion), Blir rånad = was robbed (event).
Which of these are deponent verbs (active meaning)? Grammar Sorting

Hoppas, Andas, Lagas, Skickas

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Hoppas, Andas
Hoppas (hope) and Andas (breathe) look passive but are active.
Complete the gossip. Dialogue Completion

A: Har du hört om chefen? B: Ja, han ___ ha slutat.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: lär
'Lär' is used for hearsay/rumors.
Is the following statement true? True False Rule

The s-passive is more common in spoken Swedish than the bli-passive.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Bli-passive is more common in speech; s-passive dominates writing.

Score: /8

Ejercicios de practica

8 exercises
Choose the correct passive form for a formal instruction. Opción múltiple

Dörren ___ klockan 22.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: stängs
S-passive is preferred for general rules and instructions.
Complete the bli-passive with the correct participle agreement.

Huset blev ___ (sälja) igår.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sålt
'Hus' is neuter (ett), so the participle must end in -t.
Correct the sentence: 'Han sägs att vara rik.' Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Han sägs att vara rik.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Han sägs vara rik.
With 'sägs' + infinitive, we don't use 'att'.
Change the active to s-passive: 'De fattade beslutet.' Sentence Transformation

De fattade beslutet.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Beslutet fattades.
The past tense of 'fatta' is 'fattade', so the passive is 'fattades'.
Match the verb with its passive meaning. Match Pairs

1. Sägs, 2. Anses, 3. Blir rånad

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-Rumor, 2-Opinion, 3-Event
Sägs = is said (rumor), Anses = is considered (opinion), Blir rånad = was robbed (event).
Which of these are deponent verbs (active meaning)? Grammar Sorting

Hoppas, Andas, Lagas, Skickas

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Hoppas, Andas
Hoppas (hope) and Andas (breathe) look passive but are active.
Complete the gossip. Dialogue Completion

A: Har du hört om chefen? B: Ja, han ___ ha slutat.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: lär
'Lär' is used for hearsay/rumors.
Is the following statement true? True False Rule

The s-passive is more common in spoken Swedish than the bli-passive.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Bli-passive is more common in speech; s-passive dominates writing.

Score: /8

Preguntas frecuentes (8)

Yes, but it's a 'stative' passive. `Dörren är låst` means the door is already in a locked state. `Dörren låses` means someone is locking it.

`Sägs` is 'is said to'. `Lär` is more like 'is reportedly' or 'is likely to'. `Lär` is very common in journalism.

Not always, but it is more 'dynamic'. It's used in formal writing when the focus is on a specific, sudden event rather than a general process.

If you can't remove the -s and have a working active verb with the same meaning, it's deponent. For example, there is no 'hoppa' that means 'to hope'.

Yes! Just add -s to the preterite form: `målade` -> `målades`.

These are reciprocal verbs. Because the s-passive comes from the reflexive 'self', verbs like `ses` (see each other) or `kramas` (hug each other) evolved this way.

No, you can add the agent using 'av' (by). Example: `Boken skrevs av Astrid Lindgren`.

Use the s-passive. It is the standard for scientific and technical writing in Swedish.

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In Other Languages

English moderate

be + past participle / get + past participle

Swedish has a one-word passive (s-passiv) which English lacks.

German high

werden + Partizip II

German lacks the s-suffix passive.

Spanish moderate

se + verb / ser + participio

Spanish 'se' is a separate particle, while Swedish '-s' is a suffix.

Japanese low

reru / rareru

Swedish passive is more about register and focus than emotional affect.

Chinese low

bèi (被)

Swedish passive is highly inflected; Chinese is analytic.

Arabic none

Internal passive (vowel change)

Swedish uses external markers; Arabic uses internal template changes.

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Passive Voice Usage

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