Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The passive voice shifts focus from 'who did it' to 'what happened' using the particle 'se' or the verb 'biti' + participle.
- Use 'se' + 3rd person for general actions: 'Kava se pije ujutro' (Coffee is drunk in the morning).
- Use 'biti' + passive participle for results: 'Ručak je skuhan' (Lunch is cooked).
- The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence and must agree in gender/number.
Meanings
The passive voice is used when the person performing the action (the agent) is unknown, irrelevant, or less important than the action itself or the person/thing affected by it.
Reflexive Passive (General/Process)
Using the particle 'se' with a 3rd person verb to describe general habits, processes, or instructions where the doer is 'everyone' or 'anyone'.
“Ovdje se govori hrvatski.”
“Kruh se peče u pećnici.”
Participial Passive (Result/State)
Using the auxiliary verb 'biti' (to be) and the passive participle to describe a completed state or a formal result.
“Pismo je napisano.”
“Vrata su zaključana.”
Impersonal Passive
Used to express that an action is happening without any specific subject at all, often found in news or formal reports.
“Puno se radilo prošlog tjedna.”
“O tome se ne priča.”
Passive Participle Endings (Trpni pridjev radni)
| Infinitive Ending | Participle Stem | Masculine (-n/-en/-t) | Feminine (-na/-ena/-ta) | Neuter (-no/-eno/-to) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -ati (e.g. pisati) | pisa- | pisan | pisana | pisano |
| -iti (e.g. raditi) | rad- | rađen | rađena | rađeno |
| -jeti (e.g. vidjeti) | vid- | viđen | viđena | viđeno |
| -nuti (e.g. taknuti) | tak- | taknut | taknuta | taknuto |
| -uti (e.g. čuti) | ču- | čuven | čuvena | čuveno |
| -eti (e.g. donijeti) | done- | donesen | donesena | doneseno |
Reflexive Passive (Present Tense)
| Person | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd Sing. (M/F/N) | Verb + se | Kolač se jede / Juha se jede |
| 3rd Plural | Verb + se | Kolači se jedu / Juhe se jedu |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative (Reflexive) | Subject + Verb + se | Knjiga se čita. |
| Negative (Reflexive) | Subject + se + ne + Verb | Knjiga se ne čita. |
| Question (Reflexive) | Čita li se knjiga? | Is the book being read? |
| Affirmative (Participial) | Subject + biti + Participle | Knjiga je pročitana. |
| Negative (Participial) | Subject + nije + Participle | Knjiga nije pročitana. |
| Question (Participial) | Je li knjiga pročitana? | Has the book been read? |
| Past Passive | Subject + je bio + Participle | Knjiga je bila pročitana. |
| Future Passive | Subject + će biti + Participle | Knjiga će biti pročitana. |
正式程度
Račun je podmiren. (Financial transaction)
Račun je plaćen. (Financial transaction)
Račun je riješen. (Financial transaction)
Račun je sređen. (Financial transaction)
Active to Passive Transformation
Active
- Marko (Subject) Marko
- čita (Verb) reads
- knjigu (Object) the book
Passive
- Knjiga (New Subject) The book
- se čita (Passive Verb) is being read
Reflexive vs. Participial Passive
Which Passive to Use?
Is it a general process?
Is it a finished result?
按水平分级的例句
Kako se kaže 'apple'?
How do you say 'apple'?
Ovdje se ne puši.
No smoking here.
Kava se pije bez šećera.
Coffee is drunk without sugar.
Vrata su otvorena.
The doors are open.
Ručak se poslužuje u podne.
Lunch is served at noon.
Knjiga je pročitana.
The book is read.
Ovdje se prodaje kruh.
Bread is sold here.
Svi prozori su zatvoreni.
All windows are closed.
Novi zakon se priprema već mjesecima.
A new law has been in preparation for months.
Pismo je poslano jučer ujutro.
The letter was sent yesterday morning.
Ova kuća je izgrađena 1950. godine.
This house was built in 1950.
Upute se moraju slijediti.
The instructions must be followed.
Smatra se da je on najbolji igrač.
It is considered that he is the best player.
Puno se raspravljalo o novom projektu.
There was much discussion about the new project.
Odluka je donesena jednoglasno.
The decision was made unanimously.
Zgrada je bila oštećena u potresu.
The building was damaged in the earthquake.
Pitanje je bilo razmatrano od strane stručnjaka.
The question was considered by experts.
Pretpostavlja se da će cijene rasti.
It is assumed that prices will rise.
Njegov rad je bio visoko ocijenjen.
His work was highly rated.
Ovaj problem se ne smije zanemariti.
This problem must not be ignored.
Bilo je rečeno da se takvi propusti neće tolerirati.
It had been said that such omissions would not be tolerated.
U tekstu se prožimaju različiti stilski elementi.
Various stylistic elements are interwoven in the text.
Zločin je bio pomno isplaniran.
The crime was meticulously planned.
Nije se moglo naslutiti što će se dogoditi.
It could not be sensed what would happen.
容易混淆
Both use the particle 'se', making it hard to tell if someone is doing something to themselves or if something is being done to them.
Many adjectives in Croatian are actually old passive participles (e.g., 'otvoren' - open).
English uses 'is' for everything, but Croatian uses 'se' for habits.
常见错误
Ja se kaže...
Kaže se...
Vrata je otvoren.
Vrata su otvorena.
Kava je piti.
Kava se pije.
Što se dogoditi?
Što se dogodilo?
Pismo je pisati.
Pismo je napisano.
Ovdje se prodaju kruh.
Ovdje se prodaje kruh.
Ručak je kuhati.
Ručak je skuhan.
Kava je pijena svako jutro.
Kava se pije svako jutro.
Knjiga je pročitana od Marko.
Knjigu je pročitao Marko.
Odluka je donijeta.
Odluka je donesena.
句型
U Hrvatskoj se ___ (glagol).
Ovaj film je ___ (pasivni pridjev).
Nažalost, račun još nije ___ (pasivni pridjev).
Smatra se da je ___ (imenica) ___ (pasivni pridjev).
Real World Usage
Javim se kad se kava popije.
Novi video je objavljen!
Projekt je završen na vrijeme.
Ulaz se ne naplaćuje.
Narudžba se priprema.
Pronađeno je rješenje za krizu.
The 'Usually' Test
Avoid 'Od Strane'
Neuter is Safe
Politeness
Smart Tips
Always try the 'se' + 3rd person singular form first. It's the most natural Croatian way.
Use the passive participle as an adjective. You don't even need a full sentence.
Check the word before it. If it's a form of 'biti', you're looking at a passive result.
Use the passive to sound more professional when discussing tasks.
发音
The particle 'se'
The word 'se' is a clitic, meaning it has no accent of its own and 'leans' on the word before it.
Participle Stress
In participles like 'napisano', the stress usually stays on the same syllable as the infinitive stem.
Passive Statement
Vrata se otvaraju. ↘
A neutral factual statement.
记住它
记忆技巧
Remember: 'Se' is for the Sea of people (general actions), while '-n/-t' is for the Net that caught the result.
视觉联想
Imagine a factory line. The 'se' passive is the conveyor belt moving (the process). The 'biti + participle' passive is the finished box at the end with a label on it (the result).
Rhyme
Kad se nešto stalno radi, 'se' se u rečenicu sadi. Kad je poslu došao kraj, participu ruku daj!
Story
A chef is in a kitchen. He says, 'Ovdje se kuha' (Here, cooking happens). He finishes a dish and says, 'Ručak je skuhan' (Lunch is cooked). He then puts a sign: 'Zabranjeno je ulaženje' (Entry is forbidden).
Word Web
挑战
Look around your room. Find 3 objects and describe them using the passive voice (e.g., 'Prozor je otvoren', 'Knjiga je kupljena').
文化笔记
In formal news (HRT), the participial passive is very common to maintain an air of objectivity.
In coastal areas, people often prefer the active voice or very short passive forms in daily speech.
Official documents (birokracija) heavily use the passive to avoid direct responsibility.
The Croatian passive 'se' comes from the Proto-Slavic reflexive pronoun *sę. The participial passive uses the Proto-Indo-European suffixes *-no and *-to.
对话开场白
Što se najčešće jede u tvojoj zemlji?
Je li tvoja omiljena knjiga već prevedena na hrvatski?
Što se priča o novom filmu u kinima?
Koji se jezici govore u tvojoj obitelji?
日记主题
Test Yourself
U ovom restoranu ___ najbolja riba.
Oni su ___ u gradu jučer.
Find and fix the mistake:
Knjiga se je pročitana.
Marko je napisao pismo.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
The passive participle must always agree with the subject in gender and number.
A: Je li večera gotova? B: Da, sve je već ___.
Which is a process?
Score: /8
练习题
8 exercisesU ovom restoranu ___ najbolja riba.
Oni su ___ u gradu jučer.
Find and fix the mistake:
Knjiga se je pročitana.
Marko je napisao pismo.
1. Kupiti, 2. Prodati, 3. Donijeti
The passive participle must always agree with the subject in gender and number.
A: Je li večera gotova? B: Da, sve je već ___.
Which is a process?
Score: /8
常见问题 (8)
Technically yes, but it's very rare. Croatian prefers the active voice if you want to mention who did it. Only use 'od strane' in very formal or legal contexts.
'Otvaraju' is imperfective (they are opening right now), while 'otvore' is perfective (they open usually/suddenly). Both are passive.
It depends on the verb stem. Verbs ending in -nuti (like 'taknuti') usually take -t ('taknut'). Most others take -n or -en.
Yes! It's an impersonal passive meaning 'Smoking is forbidden'.
Yes. For 'se' passive: 'Kuća se gradila'. For participial: 'Kuća je bila izgrađena'.
In Croatian, we say 'Rođen sam' (masculine) or 'Rođena sam' (feminine). This is a passive participle!
No. Only transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) can have a true passive form.
The 'se' passive is very common. The participial passive is less common than in English but still used for results.
Scaffolded Practice
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2
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
be + past participle
Croatian uses 'se' for general habits where English uses 'is/are'.
se pasivo / ser + participio
Spanish 'se' can also be used for 'accidental' events more often than in Croatian.
werden/sein + Partizip II
German uses the auxiliary 'werden' (to become) for the action passive, while Croatian uses 'se'.
forme pronominale / être + participe
French participial passive is much more common in spoken language than the Croatian one.
verb + rareru
Croatian passive is purely structural and doesn't inherently imply 'suffering'.
bèi (被)
Croatian requires explicit morphological changes (participles or 'se').
