Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the passive to focus on the action or the object when the 'doer' is unknown, obvious, or unimportant.
- Use 'biti' + passive participle for formal results: 'Ručak je skuhan' (Lunch is cooked).
- Use the reflexive 'se' for general actions or instructions: 'Vrata se otvaraju' (The doors open/are opened).
- The object of the active sentence becomes the Nominative subject of the passive sentence.
Passive Participle Formation (Trpni pridjev)
| Infinitive | Stem Change | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
raditi (to do)
|
rad- + en
|
rađen
|
rađena
|
rađeno
|
|
pisati (to write)
|
pisa- + n
|
pisan
|
pisana
|
pisano
|
|
kupiti (to buy)
|
kupi- + ljen
|
kupljen
|
kupljena
|
kupljeno
|
|
dati (to give)
|
da- + n
|
dan
|
dana
|
dano
|
|
vidjeti (to see)
|
vid- + jen
|
viđen
|
viđena
|
viđeno
|
|
prostrijeti (to spread)
|
prostri- + t
|
prostrt
|
prostrta
|
prostrto
|
|
otvoriti (to open)
|
otvor- + en
|
otvoren
|
otvorena
|
otvoreno
|
|
zatvoriti (to close)
|
zatvor- + en
|
zatvoren
|
zatvorena
|
zatvoreno
|
Meanings
The passive voice in Croatian is used to emphasize the recipient of an action or the action itself, rather than the person or thing performing it. It is less common than in English but essential for formal, technical, and instructional contexts.
Resultative Passive
Focuses on the completed state or result of an action using the verb 'biti' and the passive participle.
“Stan je prodan.”
“Zadaća je napisana.”
Reflexive Passive (Impersonal)
Uses the particle 'se' to express general truths, habits, or processes where the agent is generic.
“Ovdje se dobro jede.”
“Knjige se čitaju polako.”
Official/Formal Passive
Used in legal, academic, or journalistic writing to maintain objectivity.
“Zakon je usvojen jednoglasno.”
“Istraživanje je provedeno u Zagrebu.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Present Passive (Participle)
|
biti (pres) + participle
|
Knjiga je pročitana.
|
|
Present Passive (Reflexive)
|
verb (3rd pers) + se
|
Knjiga se čita.
|
|
Past Passive
|
biti (past) + participle
|
Knjiga je bila pročitana.
|
|
Future Passive
|
biti (fut) + participle
|
Knjiga će biti pročitana.
|
|
Negative (Participle)
|
ne + biti + participle
|
Knjiga nije pročitana.
|
|
Negative (Reflexive)
|
ne + verb + se
|
Knjiga se ne čita.
|
|
Question (Participle)
|
Je li + subject + participle?
|
Je li knjiga pročitana?
|
|
Question (Reflexive)
|
Čita li se + subject?
|
Čita li se knjiga?
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
Nekretnina je oglašena za prodaju. (Real estate)
Kuća se prodaje. (Real estate)
Prodaju kuću. (Real estate)
Kuća ide na bubanj. (Real estate)
When to use Passive in Croatian
Formal
- Izvještaji Reports
- Zakoni Laws
General
- Upute Instructions
- Recepti Recipes
Unknown Agent
- Krađa Theft
- Gubitak Loss
Active vs. Passive Focus
Choosing the Passive Form
Is it a specific result?
Is it a general process?
Common Passive Participles
Household
- • oprano
- • očišćeno
- • popravljeno
Business
- • poslano
- • potpisano
- • dogovoreno
Food
- • skuhano
- • pečeno
- • pojedeno
수준별 예문
Vrata su zatvorena.
The doors are closed.
Kava je skuhana.
The coffee is brewed.
Zabranjeno pušenje.
Smoking forbidden.
Kako se kaže 'apple'?
How is 'apple' said?
Ova kuća je prodana.
This house is sold.
Ovdje se pije pivo.
Beer is drunk here.
Ručak je poslužen.
Lunch is served.
Knjiga je napisana.
The book is written.
Pismo je poslano jučer ujutro.
The letter was sent yesterday morning.
Novi zakon je usvojen u Saboru.
A new law was adopted in Parliament.
U Hrvatskoj se Božić slavi u prosincu.
In Croatia, Christmas is celebrated in December.
Sve ulaznice su već rasprodane.
All tickets are already sold out.
Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku od tisuću ljudi.
The research was conducted on a sample of a thousand people.
Odluka će biti donesena nakon sastanka.
The decision will be made after the meeting.
Smatra se da je ovo najbolji film godine.
It is considered that this is the best movie of the year.
Grad je bio potpuno uništen u ratu.
The city was completely destroyed in the war.
Pretpostavlja se da su dokazi namjerno skriveni.
It is assumed that the evidence was intentionally hidden.
Pitanje je bilo postavljeno na krivi način.
The question was posed in the wrong way.
Ova tradicija se prenosi s koljena na koljeno.
This tradition is passed down from generation to generation.
Radovi moraju biti dovršeni do kraja mjeseca.
The works must be completed by the end of the month.
Ustanovljeno je da su propusti učinjeni u samom začetku projekta.
It was established that omissions were made at the very inception of the project.
Njegovo ime se spominje u kontekstu novih otkrića.
His name is mentioned in the context of new discoveries.
Bilo mu je naređeno da šuti.
He had been ordered to remain silent.
Često se griješi pri tumačenju ovih stihova.
Mistakes are often made when interpreting these verses.
혼동하기 쉬운
Learners confuse 'se' as a passive marker with 'se' as a part of a reflexive verb (like 'umivati se').
Some participles have become pure adjectives.
Using passive where 'Ljudi...' (People...) would be more natural.
자주 하는 실수
Vrata je zatvoren.
Vrata su zatvorena.
Kava je skuhan.
Kava je skuhana.
Ja sam rođen u Zagreb.
Rođen sam u Zagrebu.
To se kažeš tako.
To se kaže tako.
Knjigu je napisana.
Knjiga je napisana.
Oni su bijeli viđeni.
Oni su bili viđeni.
Ručak se kuha od mama.
Mama kuha ručak.
Pismo je pisano od Ivana.
Ivan je napisao pismo.
Odluka će biti donijeta.
Odluka će biti donesena.
Stan se prodaje se.
Stan se prodaje.
Bilo je rečeno da dođem.
Rečeno mi je da dođem.
문장 패턴
___ je ___ (npr. Ručak je skuhan).
Ovdje se ___ (npr. Ovdje se spava).
___ će biti ___ (npr. Odluka će biti donesena).
Smatra se da ___.
Real World Usage
Projekt je završen na vrijeme.
Sve je dogovoreno!
Posluženo uz rižu.
Pronađeno je rješenje.
Klikne se na ovaj gumb.
Potpisnik se obvezuje...
Think 'Result'
Avoid 'OD'
The 'Se' Shortcut
Politeness
Smart Tips
Don't use the passive 'Ja sam bio rečen'. Instead, use the impersonal 'Rečeno mi je'.
Use the perfective participle for a state (result) and the 'se' construction for an ongoing process.
Look for participles ending in -no or -na; they are almost always passive descriptions.
If the English sentence has 'by', try to flip it back to active in Croatian.
발음
Participle Stress
The stress in passive participles often shifts to the first syllable or remains on the stem.
Enclitic Placement
The particle 'se' and the auxiliary 'je' are enclitics and must follow the first stressed word.
Declarative Passive
Pismo je poslano. ↘
A simple statement of fact.
암기하기
기억법
Remember 'SE for the General, BITI for the Specific'.
시각적 연상
Imagine a factory conveyor belt. You see the products (objects) moving, but the workers (agents) are hidden behind a screen. The focus is entirely on the 'finished product' (the participle).
Rhyme
Kad je radnik skriven, pasiv je oživljen!
Story
A detective arrives at a crime scene. He doesn't know who did it, so he only speaks in passive: 'The window was broken (prozor je razbijen), the money was taken (novac je uzet), and the door was left open (vrata su ostavljena otvorena)'.
Word Web
챌린지
Look around your room and name 5 things using the passive voice (e.g., 'Prozor je otvoren', 'Krevet je pospremljen').
문화 노트
In formal Croatian, the passive is preferred for legal and administrative texts to sound impartial.
In coastal regions, people might use the active voice even more frequently than in the north, avoiding passive structures in casual talk.
Croatian news often uses the 'se' passive to report rumors or unconfirmed info without naming sources.
The Croatian passive participle stems from Proto-Slavic verbal adjectives ending in *-nъ, *-enъ, or *-tъ.
대화 시작하기
Što se najčešće jede u tvojoj zemlji?
Je li tvoj omiljeni film snimljen prema knjizi?
Što misliš, zašto se u nekim zemljama kava pije s puno šećera?
Koji je najvažniji zakon koji je nedavno usvojen u tvojoj državi?
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
Knjiga je ___.
Ovdje ___ dobro jede.
Find and fix the mistake:
Pismu je poslano.
Auto ___ ___.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Kolač je pojeden od strane Ivana.
A: Gdje je moj ključ? B: Ne brini, ___ ___.
A. Kuća je prodana, B. Ovdje se radi, C. Pismo je poslano, D. To se ne smije.
Score: /8
연습 문제
8 exercisesKnjiga je ___.
Ovdje ___ dobro jede.
Find and fix the mistake:
Pismu je poslano.
Auto ___ ___.
1. raditi, 2. vidjeti, 3. dati
Kolač je pojeden od strane Ivana.
A: Gdje je moj ključ? B: Ne brini, ___ ___.
A. Kuća je prodana, B. Ovdje se radi, C. Pismo je poslano, D. To se ne smije.
Score: /8
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
No, only transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) can form a true passive with a participle. Intransitive verbs usually use the 'se' construction.
Grammatically they look the same, but the meaning is different. In 'On se pere' (He washes himself), it's reflexive. In 'Auto se pere' (The car is being washed), it's passive.
Croatian culture values directness in speech. The passive can feel evasive or overly bureaucratic, so it's saved for formal contexts.
You can use 'od strane' + Genitive, but it's best to avoid it. If you must mention the agent, use the active voice.
Yes! Just use the future of 'biti' (bit će) + the participle. Example: 'Sve će biti popravljeno'.
'Otvoren' is from a perfective verb (finished action), while 'otvaran' is from an imperfective verb (repeated or ongoing action).
Yes, it's a great way to point out a mistake without blaming a specific person. 'Pogreška je napravljena' instead of 'Napravio si pogrešku'.
Yes, it often functions as a regular adjective. 'Zaposlena žena' (An employed woman) or 'Pečeno pile' (Roasted chicken).
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
be + past participle
Croatian participles must agree in gender and number with the subject.
werden + Partizip II
German uses a different auxiliary (werden) for the dynamic passive.
ser + participio / se pasiva
The placement of 'se' follows different clitic rules.
être + participe passé
French 'on' is an active subject, while Croatian 'se' is a passive marker.
reru / rareru
Croatian passive doesn't inherently imply that the action was annoying or harmful.
Internal Passive (Vowel changes)
Arabic uses internal inflection; Croatian uses periphrastic construction.
被 (bèi) construction
Chinese passive often requires the agent to be mentioned; Croatian passive usually avoids it.
