B1 · Intermédiaire Chapitre 10

Focusing on the Action: Passive Voice

3 Règles totales
31 exemples
5 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Shift your focus from who did it to what happened.

  • Master the 'Verb + jānā' structure to form passive sentences.
  • Report events and news using the past passive voice.
  • Express physical inability or impersonal rules naturally.
Focus on the result, not the doer!

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Hey friend! Ready to take your Hindi up a notch? In this awesome chapter, we're diving into the Passive Voice in Hindi. You might ask, why? Well, there are many times when you don't know who did something, or it simply doesn't matter who did it! Only the result or the action itself is important, not the person performing it. Here, you'll learn how to say a ton of things using the

Verb-Participle + jānā
structure. First, we'll see how you can hide the doer or express that you physically can't do something. For example, you want to say
The window was broken
but you don't know who broke it. Or maybe you want to say
Smoking is not allowed here.
Next, we'll focus on the past tense, meaning was done. Here, you'll learn how to use the past participle to report news or make your tone more official, like TV news reports or formal announcements. Finally, we'll connect all these pieces to learn how to talk about actions that happened without a doer, making your speech truly professional and natural. By the end of this chapter, you'll be able to speak about events like a pro Hindi speaker, without getting confused about who did what, understand and even use important news phrases yourself, and most importantly, make your spoken tone completely natural and native. So let's go, there's a lot to learn!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to transform active sentences into passive ones using the correct gender agreement.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to describe historical events or news reports using the past passive 'gayā' structure.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to express that you cannot physically perform an action using the 'se... nahi' passive construction.

Guide du chapitre

Overview

Hey there, Hindi learners! Ready to level up your language skills? This chapter is your gateway to mastering the Passive Voice in Hindi, a crucial element for anyone aiming for B1 Hindi grammar proficiency.
Why is it so important? Well, sometimes you don't know who performed an action, or perhaps it's simply irrelevant. What truly matters is the action itself or its outcome.
Think about news headlines, formal announcements, or even just politely avoiding assigning blame – the passive voice is your go-to!
Understanding the Hindi passive voice will transform your ability to communicate naturally, allowing you to articulate events without always needing a specific doer. We’ll delve into the versatile
Verb-Participle + जाना (jānā)
structure, which is the backbone of forming passive sentences in Hindi. You'll learn how to express things like
The work was done
(काम किया गया) or
Smoking is not allowed
(धूम्रपान की अनुमति नहीं है).
This skill is vital for achieving a more sophisticated and native-like flow in your conversations. So, let’s unlock this powerful grammatical tool and make your Hindi truly shine!

How This Grammar Works

At its heart, the Hindi passive voice revolves around the auxiliary verb जाना (jānā), meaning to go, but here it acts as a marker for passivity. The general structure is Verb Participle + जाना. The participle agrees with the subject of the passive sentence, and जाना conjugates according to tense, aspect, and agreement.
Let's break down the rules covered in this chapter:
1. Hindi Passive Voice (Getting Things Done): This structure is used when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or when expressing inability.
* Structure: Verb Stem + आ/ई/ए (participle ending) + जाना (jānā)
* Example (hiding the doer):
काम किया जाता है। (Work is done.) – Here, we don't know or care who does the work.
पार्टी की तैयारी की जा रही है। (Party preparations are being made.)
* Example (expressing inability): This often uses the agent marker से (se) before the doer.
मुझसे चला नहीं जाता। (I cannot walk / Walking is not possible for me.)
उससे यह काम नहीं किया जाएगा। (He won't be able to do this work.)
2. Hindi Passive Voice: Past Participle (Was Done): This is particularly useful for reporting events, news, or adopting a formal tone. It focuses on actions completed in the past.
* Structure: Verb Stem + आ/ई/ए (participle ending) + जाना (jānā) in the past tense (e.g., गया, गई, गए - gayā, gaī, gaye). The participle and जाना agree with the grammatical subject.
* Example (news report/formal):
खिड़की तोड़ी गई। (The window was broken.) – The focus is on the broken window, not who broke it.
यह घोषणा कल की गई थी। (This announcement was made yesterday.)
कई किताबें पढ़ी गईं। (Many books were read.)
3. Hindi Passive Voice: Actions without Doers (Verb + जाना): This rule reinforces the idea that the action itself is paramount. It’s essentially the same as the general passive voice, emphasizing that the action happens or is done, often without explicitly mentioning an agent.
It's about the event taking place.
* यह नियम लागू किया जाएगा। (This rule will be implemented.)
* खाना खाया गया। (Food was eaten.)
By understanding these applications of जाना (jānā), you gain immense flexibility in expressing actions in Hindi, moving beyond simple active constructions and sounding more like a native speaker.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong: मैंने काम किया गया। (I was done the work.)
✓ Correct: मुझसे काम किया गया। (The work was done by me.) OR काम किया गया। (The work was done.)
*Explanation:* When expressing the agent in a passive sentence, से (se) is typically used with the agent (मुझसे - *by me*), not the active agent marker ने (ne). If the agent is unknown or irrelevant, it can be omitted entirely.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: किताब पढ़ा गया। (The book was read.)
✓ Correct: किताब पढ़ी गई। (The book was read.)
*Explanation:* The participle (पढ़ी) and the form of जाना (gayī) must agree in gender and number with the grammatical subject of the passive sentence, which is किताब (kitāb - *book*), a feminine noun.

Real Conversations

A

A

यह प्रोजेक्ट कब तक पूरा किया जाएगा? (By when will this project be completed?)
B

B

इसे अगले महीने तक पूरा किया जाने की उम्मीद है। (It is expected to be completed by next month.)
A

A

क्या यहां धूम्रपान की अनुमति है? (Is smoking allowed here?)
B

B

नहीं, यहां धूम्रपान की अनुमति नहीं है। (No, smoking is not allowed here.)
A

A

समाचार में क्या बताया गया? (What was reported in the news?)
B

B

बताया गया कि नई नीतियां लागू की जाएंगी। (It was reported that new policies would be implemented.)

Quick FAQ

Q

How is the Hindi passive voice different from simply using से (se) to mean by?

While से (se) can mark the agent in a passive construction, the true passive voice in Hindi always involves the Verb Participle + जाना (jānā) structure. से (se) alone doesn't make a sentence passive; it just indicates the agent when the verb is already passive.

Q

Can all Hindi verbs be used in the passive voice with जाना (jānā)?

Generally, transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) are most commonly used in the passive voice. Intransitive verbs can sometimes be used to express inability, like मुझसे चला नहीं जाता (I cannot walk).

Q

Is the passive voice common in everyday Hindi conversation?

Yes, it is quite common, especially when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or when expressing inability or formality. It adds a layer of sophistication and naturalness to your speech, particularly in formal contexts or when discussing general truths.

Cultural Context

The passive voice in Hindi is more than just a grammatical rule; it's a tool for nuanced communication. Native speakers frequently use it in formal settings like news reports, official announcements, or academic discussions to maintain objectivity and focus on the event rather than the individual. It's also culturally significant for politely avoiding direct blame or when discussing unfortunate events without singling out a culprit.
Furthermore, the inability passive (e.g., मुझसे खाया नहीं जाता - *I cannot eat*) is a very common and natural way to express physical limitations or lack of desire, making your Hindi grammar B1 level sound much more authentic.

Exemples clés (4)

1

Yahan Hindi boli jaati hai.

On parle hindi ici.

Voix Passive Hindi (Faire faire les choses)
2

Mujhse aur nahi chala jaata.

Je ne peux plus marcher.

Voix Passive Hindi (Faire faire les choses)
3

Usse yah kām nahīñ kiyā gayā.

Il n'a pas pu faire ce travail.

Voix Passive en Hindi : Participe Passé (A été fait)
4

Chōr pulis dvārā pakaṛā gayā.

Le voleur a été arrêté par la police.

Voix Passive en Hindi : Participe Passé (A été fait)

Conseils et astuces (3)

💡

Le piège de 'Jaana'

Ne confonds pas l'auxiliaire jaana avec le verbe aller. Ici, il sert juste à construire le temps du verbe : Chai banayi gayi.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voix Passive Hindi (Faire faire les choses)
🎯

L'astuce de l'incapacité

Pour sonner comme un vrai local quand tu es épuisé, dis :
Mujhse ab aur nahīñ chalā jātā
. C'est plus naturel que la forme classique.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voix Passive en Hindi : Participe Passé (A été fait)
💡

L'objet est le roi

Regarde toujours le genre de l'objet. Si tu parles de la 'chai' (féminin), ton verbe doit finir en 'ee' : «चाय पी गई।»
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: La Voix Passive en Hindi : Actions sans auteur (Verb + जाना)

Vocabulaire clé (6)

खिड़की(khidki) window समाचार(samachar) news अनुमति(anumati) permission तोड़ना(todna) to break भेजना(bhejna) to send बनाना(banana) to make/build

Real-World Preview

tv

Watching the Evening News

briefcase

The Formal Office Sign

Review Summary

  • [Perfective Participle] + [jānā (conjugated)]
  • [Perfective Participle] + [gayā/gaye/gayī]
  • [Subject + se] + [Perfective Participle] + [nahī̃ jātā]

Erreurs courantes

Do not use 'ne' in passive sentences. If you want to mention the doer, use 'ke dwara' or 'se', but usually, the doer is just omitted.

Wrong: मैंने खाना बनाया जाता है (Maine khana banaya jaata hai)
Correct: खाना बनाया जाता है (Khana banaya jaata hai)

The verb must agree with the object. Since 'Chai' (tea) is feminine, both the participle 'pee' and the auxiliary 'gayi' must be feminine.

Wrong: चाय पिया गया (Chai piya gaya)
Correct: चाय पी गई (Chai pee gayi)

To express inability, you must use the passive structure (Participle + jaata), not the simple present tense.

Wrong: मुझसे नहीं पढ़ता (Mujhse nahi padhta)
Correct: मुझसे पढ़ा नहीं जाता (Mujhse padha nahi jaata)

Next Steps

You've reached a major milestone! Passive voice is the bridge to formal and literary Hindi. Keep practicing, and you'll be reading newspapers in no time!

Read a Hindi news headline and identify the passive verb.

Describe three things in your room using the passive voice (e.g., 'The door is closed').

Continue to: Conditionals, Experiences & Habitual Actions

Pratique rapide (3)

Complète la phrase avec la bonne forme de 'jaana'.

Cricket Bharat mein khela ___ hai. (Le cricket est joué en Inde)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer:
Comme c'est une vérité générale ou une habitude, on utilise le présent simple 'jaata hai'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voix Passive Hindi (Faire faire les choses)

Quelle phrase exprime correctement 'Je n'arrive pas à manger' (incapacité) ?

Choisis la construction passive correcte :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer:
'Mujhse' (par moi) est nécessaire pour l'agent, et 'nahi jaata' complète la structure d'incapacité.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voix Passive Hindi (Faire faire les choses)

Trouve l'erreur d'accord.

Chai banaya gaya hai. (Le thé a été préparé)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer:
'Chai' (le thé) est féminin en hindi, donc le participe doit être 'banayi' et l'auxiliaire 'gayi'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voix Passive Hindi (Faire faire les choses)

Score: /3

Questions fréquentes (6)

C'est simplement un marqueur grammatical en hindi, un peu comme l'auxiliaire 'être' en français. Dans ce contexte, il perd son sens de 'mouvement' pour devenir une aide : Kaam kiya gaya.
Techniquement oui, mais c'est rare. On utilise surtout cette structure au négatif pour l'incapacité ou dans les questions :
Mujhse khaya nahi jaata.
Oui, dans la construction passive standard, une forme de jānā doit suivre le participe passé. Sans lui, c'est juste du passé simple actif comme dans Maine khāyā.
Non, jamais. La particule ne est réservée aux sujets actifs transitifs au passé. Pour le passif, on utilise se comme dans Mujhse kiyā gayā.
Surtout pour les verbes transitifs (ceux qui ont un objet). Les verbes comme 'dormir' sont rares au passif, sauf pour l'incapacité : «मुझसे सोया नहीं जाता।»
Oui, c'est très soutenu. Dans la vie de tous les jours, on utilise 'se' ou on ne mentionne pas la personne du tout : «चोर पकड़ा गया।»
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The Power of Influence: Causative Verbs
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Conditionals, Experiences & Habitual Actions
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