Agentive Passive
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The agentive passive uses 'de către' to specify who performed the action in a passive sentence.
- Use 'a fi' + past participle + 'de către' + agent: 'Cartea a fost scrisă de către autor.'
- Ensure the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject: 'Scrisă' (feminine singular).
- Only use this when the performer of the action is important to mention: 'Legea a fost votată de către parlament.'
Overview
what is more important than the who? Welcome to the world of the agentive passive in Romanian. In most sentences, we use the active voice.Eu am mâncat mărul (I ate the apple). But what if the apple is the star of the show? Or what if you want to sound a bit more formal, like a news anchor or a lawyer?who is called the agent.de către or sometimes just de. It is like turning a spotlight from the person acting to the person or thing receiving the action. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes, usually by forgetting to match the endings, so don't worry if it feels like a puzzle at first.How This Grammar Works
a fi (to be) as a helper.a fi goes into the past. If it's happening now, a fi stays in the present.-at, -it, -ut forms). The magic trick here is that the participle acts like an adjective. It must change its ending to match the new subject.mașina, the verb must look feminine too. Finally, we add the agent at the end. It's a bit like building a sandwich; you need the bread (subject), the filling (verb), and the sauce (the agent) to make it complete.
Formation Pattern
The chef cooks the soup,the soup
supa is your new subject.
a fi (to be) to match the tense of your original sentence and the number of your new subject. For supa, use este (is).
a găti (to cook), the participle is gătit.
supa is feminine singular, gătit becomes gătită.
de către (preferred for people/entities) or de (common in casual speech or for inanimate causes).
Supa este gătită de către bucătar. (The soup is cooked by the chef).
When To Use It
Acest proiect a fost coordonat de mine (This project was coordinated by me). It sounds professional and puts the focus on the proiect. You will also see this constantly in the news.Legea a fost votată de Parlament (The law was voted by Parliament). It provides a sense of objectivity and formality. It is also great for when you want to be a bit vague or poetic.evening gown of grammar—not for every day, but perfect for the right occasion.
When Not To Use It
Cafeaua a fost băută de mine (The coffee was drunk by me), just say Am băut cafeaua. It’s faster and sounds natural. Also, Romanian has a reflexive passive using se (like se vinde, it is sold) which is often preferred for general statements where no specific agent is mentioned.de către feels too heavy. Avoid using it for intransitive verbs (verbs that don't take a direct object), like to go or to sleep. You can't really be slept by someone, unless you're in a very strange sci-fi movie.
Common Mistakes
Agreement Monster. Since the past participle acts like an adjective, it must agree with the subject. If the subject is fetele (the girls), the verb must be invitate. Many learners leave it as invitat, which sounds like a glitch in the Matrix. Another mistake is confusing de and de către. While they are often interchangeable, de către is your best friend for formal writing and when the agent is a person. Using de for a person in a formal essay might make your teacher raise an eyebrow. Finally, watch your tenses. If the active sentence is in the future, the a fi part of your passive sentence must also be in the future. Don't mix and match unless you want to invent time travel.Contrast With Similar Patterns
se). The difference is simple: the agentive passive *needs* or *implies* a specific doer. If you say Ușa s-a deschis (The door opened/was opened), we don't care who did it.Ușa a fost deschisă de către portar, we are specifically pointing at the doorman. It is also different from the English passive because Romanian is much more strict about that participle agreement. In English, The boys were invitedand
The girl was inviteduse the same word
invited. In Romanian, they are invitați and invitată.Quick FAQ
Can I use de instead of de către?
Yes, especially in spoken Romanian, but de către is the gold standard for formal contexts.
Does the participle always change?
Yes! Always check the gender and number of the subject. It is the most common point of failure for learners.
Is it okay to use this in an email to a boss?
Absolutely. It makes you sound organized and professional, especially when discussing completed tasks.
Can I use this with any verb?
No, only with transitive verbs (verbs that can have a direct object). You can't make to arrive passive.
Meanings
The agentive passive is used to shift focus to the object of an action while explicitly naming the performer using the prepositional phrase 'de către'.
Explicit Agent
Identifying the specific person or entity responsible for an action in a passive construction.
“Mâncarea a fost gătită de către bunica.”
“Decizia a fost luată de către director.”
Agentive Passive Formation (Verb: a scrie - to write)
| Tense | Auxiliary | Participle | Agent Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | este | scrisă | de către |
| Past (Perfect) | a fost | scrisă | de către |
| Imperfect | era | scrisă | de către |
| Future | va fi | scrisă | de către |
| Conditional | ar fi | scrisă | de către |
| Perfect Compound | a fi fost | scrisă | de către |
Reference Table
| Tense | Subject (Gender/Num) | Verb 'A Fi' + Participle | Agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Cartea (Fem. Sg.) | este citită | de către elev |
| Past (Perfect Compus) | Băieții (Masc. Pl.) | au fost chemați | de către antrenor |
| Future | Proiectul (Neut. Sg.) | va fi terminat | de către echipă |
| Imperfect | Casele (Fem. Pl.) | erau construite | de către bunicul |
| Subjunctive | Merele (Neut. Pl.) | să fie mâncate | de copii |
| Conditional | Mașina (Fem. Sg.) | ar fi fost reparată | de mecanic |
Spectre de formalité
Raportul a fost redactat de către echipă. (Workplace)
Raportul a fost scris de către echipă. (Workplace)
Echipa a scris raportul. (Workplace)
Echipa a făcut raportul. (Workplace)
The Agentive Passive Universe
Components
- A fi Helper verb
- Participiu Past Participle
- Agent The Doer
Prepositions
- De către For people/entities
- De For causes/informal
Active vs. Passive Focus
The Passive Conversion Process
Is there a direct object?
Make it the subject. Does the participle match its gender?
Is the agent a person?
Add 'de către'. Sentence complete!
Participle Agreement Guide
Masculine Singular
- • invitat
- • văzut
Feminine Singular
- • invitată
- • văzută
Masculine Plural
- • invitați
- • văzuți
Feminine/Neuter Plural
- • invitate
- • văzute
Examples by Level
Cartea este citită de către elev.
The book is read by the student.
Mâncarea este gătită de către mama.
The food is cooked by mom.
Scrisoarea este scrisă de către el.
The letter is written by him.
Casa este curățată de către mine.
The house is cleaned by me.
Proiectul a fost terminat de către colegi.
The project was finished by colleagues.
Legea a fost aprobată de către parlament.
The law was approved by parliament.
Problema a fost rezolvată de către expert.
The problem was solved by the expert.
Cadoul a fost cumpărat de către prieten.
The gift was bought by the friend.
Decizia a fost luată de către consiliul de administrație.
The decision was taken by the board of directors.
Raportul a fost redactat de către departamentul juridic.
The report was drafted by the legal department.
Eroarea a fost identificată de către sistemul de monitorizare.
The error was identified by the monitoring system.
Pictura a fost restaurată de către un specialist.
The painting was restored by a specialist.
Măsurile au fost implementate de către autoritățile locale.
The measures were implemented by local authorities.
Investigația a fost condusă de către procurorul șef.
The investigation was led by the chief prosecutor.
Rezultatele au fost analizate de către echipa de cercetare.
The results were analyzed by the research team.
Contractul a fost semnat de către ambele părți.
The contract was signed by both parties.
Această teorie a fost contestată de către numeroși savanți.
This theory was contested by numerous scholars.
Politica externă a fost reevaluată de către minister.
The foreign policy was re-evaluated by the ministry.
Monumentul a fost ridicat de către comunitatea locală.
The monument was erected by the local community.
Strategia a fost concepută de către experți în domeniu.
The strategy was conceived by experts in the field.
Acest manuscris a fost transcris de către călugări în secolul al XV-lea.
This manuscript was transcribed by monks in the 15th century.
Constituția a fost amendată de către forul legislativ suprem.
The constitution was amended by the supreme legislative body.
Opera a fost interpretată de către filarmonica orașului.
The opera was performed by the city's philharmonic.
Sistemul a fost optimizat de către inginerii de software.
The system was optimized by the software engineers.
Easily Confused
Learners often use 'de către' with the reflexive passive, which is incorrect.
Learners use the passive when the active voice is much clearer.
Learners forget that the agentive passive requires the agent.
Erreurs courantes
Cartea este scris de autor.
Cartea este scrisă de către autor.
Cartea este scrisă de autor.
Cartea este scrisă de către autor.
Cartea a fi scrisă de autor.
Cartea este scrisă de către autor.
Cartea scrisă de autor.
Cartea este scrisă de către autor.
Cărțile este scrisă de către autor.
Cărțile sunt scrise de către autor.
Proiectul a fost terminat de autor.
Proiectul a fost terminat de către autor.
Proiectul a fost terminat de către echipa.
Proiectul a fost terminat de către echipă.
Decizia a fost luată de către consiliu.
Decizia a fost luată de către consiliu.
Raportul a fost scris de către eu.
Raportul a fost scris de către mine.
Eroarea a fost făcut de către sistem.
Eroarea a fost făcută de către sistem.
Teoria a fost contestat de către savanți.
Teoria a fost contestată de către savanți.
Politica a fost reevaluat de către minister.
Politica a fost reevaluată de către minister.
Monumentul a fost ridicat de către comunitate.
Monumentul a fost ridicat de către comunitate.
Sentence Patterns
___ a fost ___ de către ___.
___ sunt ___ de către ___.
Decizia a fost ___ de către ___.
Proiectul va fi ___ de către ___.
Real World Usage
Raportul a fost trimis de către departamentul financiar.
Legea a fost votată de către parlament.
Ipoteza a fost testată de către cercetători.
Contractul a fost semnat de către ambele părți.
Această poză a fost făcută de către mine.
Acest monument a fost ridicat de către localnici.
The 'De Către' Rule
de către when the agent is a person or a group of people. It sounds much more natural and correct in B1 level writing.Agreement is Key
merele (the apples), the verb must be mâncate, not mâncat. Don't let the subject's gender slip your mind!Professional Vibes
Acest proiect a fost finalizat de mine sounds more impressive than just Am terminat proiectul.Newsroom Language
Smart Tips
Use the agentive passive to attribute findings clearly.
Focus on the object being processed, not the person doing it.
Use the passive to remove yourself from the sentence.
Use the agentive passive to give weight to the source.
Prononciation
De către
Pronounced as two distinct words, with a slight stress on 'către'.
Declarative
Cartea este scrisă de către autor. ↘
Falling intonation at the end of a statement.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'DE CĂTRE' as 'DE' (by) + 'CĂTRE' (towards). The action goes 'by' the agent 'towards' the object.
Visual Association
Imagine a book floating in the air, and a giant hand labeled 'DE CĂTRE' pointing at the author who wrote it.
Rhyme
Când agentul vrei să-l arăți clar, / Folosește 'de către' în mod exemplar.
Story
The king (subject) was crowned (passive) by the bishop (agent). The king stood still while the bishop placed the crown. The 'de către' bridge connected the two.
Word Web
Défi
Write 3 sentences about your day using the agentive passive (e.g., 'The coffee was made by me').
Notes culturelles
In Romanian corporate culture, the agentive passive is highly valued in written communication to maintain a professional, objective distance.
Academic writing in Romania strictly requires the agentive passive to attribute findings clearly.
News reports use it to cite sources or authorities.
The Romanian passive voice evolved from Latin, using the auxiliary 'esse' (to be) and the past participle.
Conversation Starters
De către cine a fost scrisă cartea ta preferată?
A fost proiectul tău finalizat de către echipă?
De către cine sunt luate deciziile importante la tine la muncă?
A fost casa ta construită de către un arhitect?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Cărțile au fost ___ de către autor.
Decizia a fost luată ___ consiliu.
Elevii ___ lăudați de profesor.
Score: /3
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesCartea ___ scrisă de către autor.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Proiectul a fost terminată de către colegi.
Autorul a scris cartea. ->
Match: 1. Cartea, 2. Cărțile, 3. Proiectul
de către / a fost / scrisă / Cartea / autor
Legea a fost votată ___ parlament.
Decizia a fost ___ de către director.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
In formal writing, 'de către' is preferred for human agents. 'De' is often used for inanimate agents or in less formal contexts.
No. You can use the passive without an agent (e.g., 'Cartea a fost scrisă'). The agentive passive is specifically for when you want to name the agent.
It is common in formal and academic contexts, but less so in everyday conversation.
Look at the subject. If it's feminine (e.g., 'cartea'), the participle ends in 'ă'. If masculine (e.g., 'proiectul'), it ends in a consonant.
Yes, 'Cartea va fi scrisă de către autor'.
Reflexive passive ('Se scrie') is impersonal and never takes an agent. Agentive passive ('Este scrisă de către...') always specifies the agent.
It shifts focus from the person to the action, which sounds more objective and professional.
Yes, it can sound professional when describing your accomplishments, but don't overdo it.
In Other Languages
ser + participio + por
Spanish uses 'por' instead of 'de către'.
être + participe + par
French uses 'par' instead of 'de către'.
werden + particip + von
German uses 'werden' and 'von'.
Passive verb + ni yotte
Japanese uses verb conjugation instead of an auxiliary verb.
Passive verb form
Arabic relies on morphology rather than auxiliary verbs.
bei + agent + verb
Chinese places the agent before the verb.
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