Passive Voice with Ser: "It was done"
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'ser' + past participle to focus on the action rather than the person doing it.
- Match the verb 'ser' to the subject: 'O bolo foi comido' (The cake was eaten).
- The past participle must agree in gender and number: 'As casas foram feitas' (The houses were made).
- Use 'por' or 'pelo/pela' to introduce the agent: 'O livro foi escrito pelo autor'.
Overview
The passive voice with ser in Portuguese allows you to describe an action where the focus shifts from the performer of the action (the agent) to the receiver of the action. Instead of stating who did something, you highlight what happened to something or someone. This grammatical structure is a powerful tool for clarity, formality, and sometimes, intentional ambiguity.
You will encounter it frequently in news reports, formal documents, scientific writing, and whenever the agent of an action is unknown, unimportant, or deliberately omitted.
Consider the active sentence: A polícia prendeu o ladrão. (The police arrested the thief.) Here, the police are the clear subject and agent. In the passive voice, the thief becomes the subject: O ladrão foi preso pela polícia. (The thief was arrested by the police.) The thief, the object of the active sentence, now occupies the subject position, emphasizing their experience of being arrested rather than the police's action.
Mastering this construction is crucial for B1 learners, enabling you to understand and produce more sophisticated and contextually appropriate Portuguese. It moves you beyond simple active constructions into a realm where you can manipulate sentence focus, express neutrality, or convey deference in communication.
How This Grammar Works
ser fundamentally reconfigures a sentence's subject-object relationship. In an active sentence, the subject performs an action on the object. When you transform this into the passive voice, the original object becomes the new grammatical subject, and the original subject (the agent) becomes an optional adjunct, typically introduced by por (by).ser (to be) and the past participle of the main verb. The verb ser is the dynamic element, conjugating to reflect the tense, mood, and person/number of the new subject. It acts as the time-keeper, telling you when the action occurred.A carta é escrita. (The letter is written [now or generally]) versus A carta foi escrita. (The letter was written [in the past]).-o).-as). This agreement is a hallmark of the Portuguese passive voice and a frequent point of error for learners.O bolo foi comido. (The cake was eaten - masculine singular) and As pizzas foram comidas. (The pizzas were eaten - feminine plural) clearly demonstrate this essential agreement.Word Order Rules
ser is highly structured and generally follows a consistent pattern. Understanding this sequence is vital for both constructing and deciphering passive sentences. The core formula emphasizes the receiver of the action, followed by the auxiliary verb, the past participle, and then, optionally, the agent.Ser (conjugated) + Past Participle (agrees with New Subject) + (por + Agent)- New Subject: This is the original object of the active sentence. It dictates the conjugation of
serand the agreement of the past participle. For instance, inO livro foi lido.,O livrois the new subject.
- Verb
Ser(conjugated): This auxiliary verb connects the new subject to the past participle and establishes the tense of the action. It must agree in person and number with the new subject. If the action happened in the past,serwill be in a past tense; if it's ongoing, in a present tense, and so on. For example, if the new subject is plural and the action is past, you would useforam(Eles foram convidados.).
- Past Participle (agrees with New Subject): This is the main verb, converted into its participle form (e.g.,
falar->falado,comer->comido,partir->partido). It must match the gender and number of the new subject. So, if the new subject isa carta(feminine singular), the participle will beescrita(A carta foi escrita.). If it'sos carros(masculine plural), it will becomprados(Os carros foram comprados.).
por+ Agent (optional): If you wish to specify who performed the action, you introduce them with the prepositionpor(by). This part is frequently omitted when the agent is unknown, irrelevant, or if you intentionally want to de-emphasize their role. For instance,A decisão foi tomada pelo diretor.(The decision was taken by the director.) Here,pelo diretorclarifies the agent. Note the contractionpelo(por+o).
Formation Pattern
ser is a systematic process. By following these steps, you can reliably transform sentences while ensuring correct verb conjugation and participle agreement.
Os alunos escreveram a carta. (The students wrote the letter.)
Os alunos escreveram a carta., the object is a carta.
A carta...
Ser: Determine the tense and person/number of the original active verb. escreveram is in the Preterite tense (Past Simple), third person plural. The new subject a carta is third person singular. Therefore, conjugate ser into the Preterite tense, third person singular: foi. A carta foi...
Ser in Common Tenses (for ele/ela/você and eles/elas/vocês which will typically match the new subject):
Ele/Ela/Você | Eles/Elas/Vocês |
é | são |
foi | foram |
era | eram |
será | serão |
seria | seriam |
escrever) and convert it to its past participle form (escrito). For regular verbs, this typically involves dropping the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, -ir) and adding -ado (for -ar verbs) or -ido (for -er and -ir verbs). Remember irregular participles (e.g., abrir -> aberto, fazer -> feito, dizer -> dito). A carta foi escrito...
A carta is feminine singular. So, escrito becomes escrita. A carta foi escrita...
Os alunos), introduce them with por. por combines with definite articles: por + o = pelo, por + a = pela, por + os = pelos, por + as = pelas. Here, Os alunos is masculine plural, so por os alunos becomes pelos alunos. A carta foi escrita pelos alunos.
A carta foi escrita pelos alunos. (The letter was written by the students.)
Eles constroem casas. (They build houses.)
Casas são construídas por eles. (Houses are built by them.)
Casas (feminine plural) -> são (present plural of ser) -> construídas (feminine plural participle).
O encanador reparará o vazamento. (The plumber will repair the leak.)
O vazamento será reparado pelo encanador. (The leak will be repaired by the plumber.)
O vazamento (masculine singular) -> será (future singular of ser) -> reparado (masculine singular participle).
Nós vendíamos os carros. (We used to sell the cars.)
Os carros eram vendidos por nós. (The cars used to be sold by us.)
Os carros (masculine plural) -> eram (imperfect plural of ser) -> vendidos (masculine plural participle).
When To Use It
ser is not just an alternative sentence structure; it serves specific communicative purposes. You should employ it strategically when the context calls for emphasizing the action's recipient or the action itself, rather than the agent. This grammatical choice allows for nuance and precision in your Portuguese expression.- 1When the Agent is Unknown or Irrelevant: This is perhaps the most common reason. If you don't know who performed an action, or if their identity is unimportant, the passive voice is ideal. For example,
Minha carteira foi roubada.(My wallet was stolen.) The focus is on the loss, not the unknown thief.
- 1To Emphasize the Action or its Result: The passive voice puts the event itself, or what happened to the subject, in the spotlight.
As decisões importantes são tomadas na reunião.(Important decisions are made at the meeting.) This highlights the decision-making process, not necessarily who makes them.
- 1For Formality and Objectivity: In formal writing, such as news reports, scientific papers, official documents, or academic texts, the passive voice contributes to an objective and impersonal tone. It helps maintain a distance, suggesting that facts are being presented rather than personal opinions or actions.
O projeto de lei foi aprovado com ampla maioria.(The bill was approved with a wide majority.) This sounds more official thanO parlamento aprovou o projeto de lei...
- 1To Avoid Naming the Agent (or Blame): Sometimes, for diplomatic reasons or to avoid pointing fingers, the agent is intentionally omitted.
Erros foram cometidos na gestão.(Mistakes were made in the management.) This statement highlights the occurrence of errors without explicitly blaming a specific individual or group, a tactic often observed in corporate or political apologies.
- 1When the Agent is Obvious or Implied: If it's clear from context who performed the action, you can use the passive voice without explicitly stating the agent.
O lixo foi recolhido.(The trash was collected.) It's generally understood that sanitation workers perform this task.
- 1In Headlines and Announcements: Due to its concise nature and focus on the event, the passive voice is frequently found in headlines and public announcements.
Novo museu será inaugurado amanhã.(New museum will be inaugurated tomorrow.) This immediately conveys the main event.
Common Mistakes
ser. Identifying these pitfalls now will significantly accelerate your path to accurate and natural usage. These mistakes often stem from direct translation from English or a lack of understanding of Portuguese's unique adjectival agreement rules.- 1Lack of Participle Agreement (Gender and Number): This is the most frequent and perhaps most noticeable error. You might forget that the past participle acts like an adjective and must reflect the gender and number of the new subject. For example, saying
A casa foi vendidoinstead of the correctA casa foi vendida.(casais feminine singular, sovendidomust becomevendida). Likewise,Os livros foram lidoshould beOs livros foram lidos.(masculine plural).
- 1Confusing
SerPassive withEstar+ Past Participle: This is a crucial distinction.Ser+ participle describes an action or process that occurred.Estar+ participle describes a state or condition resulting from an action. For instance:
A porta foi fechada.(The door was closed [by someone] – emphasizes the action of closing.)A porta está fechada.(The door is closed – emphasizes the current state of being closed.)
ser. If you want to describe how something is (its condition), use estar.- 1Incorrect Conjugation of
Ser: You might use the wrong tense or person forser. For example, usingsão(present plural) when the action happened in the past and the subject is plural (Os documentos foi enviadoinstead ofOs documentos foram enviados). Always ensuresermatches the tense of the original active verb and the person/number of the new passive subject.
- 1Incorrect or Omitted
Porfor the Agent: Whilepor+ agent is optional, when included, it must be correct. Errors include using the wrong preposition (para,de) or forgetting the necessary contractions with articles. For instance,foi feito para o Joãoinstead offoi feito pelo João. Rememberpor + o/a/os/ascontracts topelo/pela/pelos/pelas.
- 1Overuse in Informal Contexts (especially Brazilian Portuguese): While grammatically correct, using the
serpassive extensively in casual Brazilian Portuguese conversation can sound overly formal, unnatural, or even stilted. Brazilian Portuguese speakers often prefer the active voice or the passive reflexive (sepassive) in informal speech where European Portuguese might naturally use theserpassive.Eu comi o bolo.is much more natural thanO bolo foi comido por mim.in a casual setting.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
ser becomes much clearer when you distinguish it from other related, yet distinct, grammatical structures in Portuguese. Two patterns often cause confusion: estar + past participle and the passive reflexive with se.Ser + Past Participle (Passive Voice) vs. Estar + Past Participle (Resultant State)ser and estar can be followed by a past participle, but their meanings are entirely different.Ser+ Past Participle (Passive Voice): Describes an action, process, or event. It focuses on the fact that an action was performed on the subject. The participle here describes the action being done.A janela foi aberta pelo vento.(The window was opened by the wind.) – This emphasizes the event of opening the window. If the wind stopped, the window might still be open, but the passive voice refers to the act of opening.O problema será resolvido amanhã.(The problem will be solved tomorrow.) – Focuses on the future action of solving. The problem is currently unsolved.
Estar+ Past Participle (Resultant State): Describes a condition or state that results from a previous action. It focuses on how the subject is at a particular moment, following an action. The participle here functions purely as an adjective describing the subject's condition.A janela está aberta por causa do vento.(The window is open because of the wind.) – This emphasizes the current state of the window. The action of opening might have happened moments or hours ago; the sentence describes its present condition.O problema está resolvido!(The problem is solved!) – Focuses on the current state of the problem (it's no longer a problem). The action of solving is complete.
Ser Passive (Action/Process) | Estar (Resultant State/Condition) |A porta foi fechada. (It was closed.) | A porta está fechada. (It is closed.) |O relatório foi escrito. (It was written.) | O relatório está escrito. (It is written.) |Os pratos foram lavados. (They were washed.) | Os pratos estão lavados. (They are clean/washed.) |Ser Passive vs. Passive Reflexive (se passive)Ser+ Past Participle (Passive Voice): Typically used when the agent is known (even if omitted for emphasis) or when the focus is on a specific, completed action by a specific agent, even if general. It allows for explicit mention of the agent withpor.A casa foi vendida pelo proprietário.(The house was sold by the owner.) – Specific agent, specific action. (This sentence sounds very natural in both EP and BP.)
- Passive Reflexive with
se: Used for general statements, indefinite agents, or when the action happens to an inanimate object without a clear, specific agent. The verb agrees with the (grammatical) subject, andseacts as a particle indicating passivity or an indefinite subject. The agent is never specified withpor. Vendem-se casas.(Houses are sold / One sells houses.) – General statement about houses being sold in general, no specific agent mentioned or implied. (Extremely common in BP for signs and announcements.)Procuram-se secretárias.(Secretaries are sought / One looks for secretaries.)
Vendem-se carros on many car dealership signs. While Carros são vendidos is grammatically correct, it sounds less natural or general for such a context in BP.- Is there a specific agent you could name? ->
Serpassive is likely. - Is the statement general, or is the agent truly indefinite? -> Passive reflexive with
seis often preferred, especially in BP.Sepassive sentences imply "people" or "one" as the agent.
Real Conversations
To truly grasp the passive voice with ser, observing its use in authentic communication provides invaluable context. It appears across various registers, from formal reporting to casual dialogue, often subtly influencing the message's emphasis. Pay attention to how native speakers choose this structure to convey particular nuances.
News Report (Formal):
Repórter
O novo hospital foi inaugurado esta manhã pelo presidente. (The new hospital was inaugurated this morning by the president.)Comentador
Sim, e a obra foi muito elogiada pelos especialistas da saúde. (Yes, and the work was much praised by health specialists.)Context: Emphasizing the event and the subject of the action (the hospital, the work), rather than focusing solely on the president or specialists as the actors. Typical of formal media reporting.*
Customer Service Email (Semi-formal):
Assunto
Seu pedido #12345 foi enviado! (Your order #12345 has been shipped!)Corpo
Informamos que seu pedido #12345 foi enviado hoje e a entrega será efetuada em até 5 dias úteis. (We inform you that your order #12345 was shipped today and delivery will be made within 5 business days.)Context: Common in automated messages and customer support, where the process and outcome (shipping, delivery) are more important than who exactly shipped or will deliver it. The agent is typically the company.* Ser is used for future passive será efetuada.
Casual Text Message (Informal, often omitted agent):
Amigo A
E aí, a festa do João foi cancelada? (Hey, was João's party cancelled?)Amigo B
Sim, foi cancelada por causa da chuva. Que pena! (Yes, it was cancelled because of the rain. What a pity!)Context: While informal, using the passive voice here feels natural. The focus is on the cancellation itself, not specifically who cancelled it (presumably João or the hosts). You could say O João cancelou a festa, but A festa foi cancelada is often more succinct and natural for bad news.* Que pena! is an idiomatic expression for
Passive Voice with Ser (Present/Past)
| Tense | Subject | Ser | Participle | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Present
|
O livro
|
é
|
escrito
|
O livro é escrito.
|
|
Past
|
O livro
|
foi
|
escrito
|
O livro foi escrito.
|
|
Plural Past
|
Os livros
|
foram
|
escritos
|
Os livros foram escritos.
|
|
Feminine
|
A carta
|
foi
|
escrita
|
A carta foi escrita.
|
|
Plural Fem
|
As cartas
|
foram
|
escritas
|
As cartas foram escritas.
|
Meanings
The passive voice shifts the focus from the subject performing the action to the object receiving it. It is used when the action itself is more important than the actor.
Standard Passive
Describing an action performed on an object.
“O relatório foi enviado.”
“As portas foram fechadas.”
Agentive Passive
Specifying who performed the action using 'por'.
“O gol foi marcado pelo atacante.”
“A lei foi aprovada pelos deputados.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subj + ser + part
|
O bolo foi feito.
|
|
Negative
|
Subj + não + ser + part
|
O bolo não foi feito.
|
|
Interrogative
|
Ser + subj + part?
|
O bolo foi feito?
|
|
Agentive
|
Subj + ser + part + por + agent
|
O bolo foi feito por ele.
|
|
Plural
|
Subj(pl) + foram + part(pl)
|
Os bolos foram feitos.
|
|
Feminine
|
Subj(fem) + foi + part(fem)
|
A torta foi feita.
|
Formality Spectrum
O relatório foi finalizado. (Workplace)
O relatório foi terminado. (Workplace)
Terminaram o relatório. (Workplace)
Acabaram o relatório. (Workplace)
Passive Voice Components
Auxiliary
- Ser To be
Agreement
- Gênero Gender
- Número Number
Agent
- Por By
Examples by Level
O carro foi comprado.
The car was bought.
A casa foi pintada.
The house was painted.
O bolo foi feito.
The cake was made.
A porta foi aberta.
The door was opened.
Os livros foram lidos.
The books were read.
A tarefa não foi terminada.
The task was not finished.
O filme foi visto por todos.
The movie was seen by everyone.
As chaves foram perdidas.
The keys were lost.
A decisão foi tomada pelo conselho.
The decision was made by the board.
O projeto foi aprovado pelos diretores.
The project was approved by the directors.
A nova lei foi assinada ontem.
The new law was signed yesterday.
Muitas casas foram destruídas pela tempestade.
Many houses were destroyed by the storm.
O relatório foi redigido com base em dados reais.
The report was written based on real data.
A conferência foi organizada por especialistas.
The conference was organized by experts.
As medidas foram implementadas para reduzir custos.
The measures were implemented to reduce costs.
O contrato foi rescindido por ambas as partes.
The contract was terminated by both parties.
A teoria foi refutada por estudos recentes.
The theory was refuted by recent studies.
O monumento foi erguido em homenagem aos heróis.
The monument was erected in honor of the heroes.
A proposta foi vetada pelo poder executivo.
The proposal was vetoed by the executive branch.
Os resultados foram analisados minuciosamente.
The results were analyzed thoroughly.
A obra foi aclamada pela crítica como uma obra-prima.
The work was acclaimed by critics as a masterpiece.
A decisão foi ratificada pelo tribunal superior.
The decision was ratified by the high court.
O manuscrito foi preservado por séculos.
The manuscript was preserved for centuries.
A infraestrutura foi modernizada por investimentos estrangeiros.
The infrastructure was modernized by foreign investments.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up the event (ser) and the state (estar).
Both are used for passive meaning.
Learners use passive when active is more natural.
Common Mistakes
O livro foi lida.
O livro foi lido.
Os livros foi lido.
Os livros foram lidos.
O livro está lido.
O livro foi lido.
O livro foi ler.
O livro foi lido.
A carta foi escrito.
A carta foi escrita.
A carta é escrito.
A carta foi escrita.
A carta foi por mim escrita.
A carta foi escrita por mim.
A decisão foi tomada por ele.
A decisão foi tomada por ele.
O projeto foi aprovado pelos diretores.
O projeto foi aprovado pelos diretores.
A lei foi assinada de o presidente.
A lei foi assinada pelo presidente.
A teoria foi refutada por estudos.
A teoria foi refutada por estudos.
A obra foi aclamada por críticos.
A obra foi aclamada pelos críticos.
A decisão foi ratificada de tribunal.
A decisão foi ratificada pelo tribunal.
Sentence Patterns
O ___ foi ___.
A ___ foi ___ por ___.
Os ___ foram ___.
As ___ foram ___ pelo ___.
Real World Usage
O presidente foi eleito.
O relatório foi enviado.
O contrato foi assinado.
Os dados foram analisados.
A foto foi tirada ontem.
O pedido foi entregue.
Check Gender
Don't over-use
Use 'por'
Brazil vs Portugal
Smart Tips
Use the passive voice to maintain objectivity.
Use the passive voice to avoid guessing the agent.
Use the passive voice to focus on the steps.
Only use passive if the object is the main topic.
Pronunciation
Participle ending
The '-do' ending is pronounced clearly.
Formal statement
O relatório foi finalizado. ↘
Falling intonation for finality.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Ser is the star, the participle is the car. They must match in gender and number, or you'll go far!
Visual Association
Imagine a statue being built. 'A estátua foi feita' (The statue was made). The statue is the focus, the builder is hidden behind a wall.
Rhyme
Ser plus the past participle, makes the object the main principle.
Story
The king ordered a castle. The castle was built (O castelo foi construído). The stones were placed (As pedras foram colocadas). The work was finished (O trabalho foi terminado).
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences about your day using the passive voice (e.g., 'O café foi tomado').
Cultural Notes
Brazilians prefer the 'se' passive in speech. 'Ser' passive is reserved for formal writing.
The 'ser' passive is more common in daily speech than in Brazil.
The 'ser' passive is the standard for scientific papers.
Derived from Latin 'esse' (to be) + past participle.
Conversation Starters
O que foi feito hoje no trabalho?
A decisão foi tomada por quem?
O projeto foi aprovado?
A casa foi pintada recentemente?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
O livro ___ lido.
Find and fix the mistake:
A carta foi escrito.
Which is correct?
O diretor assinou o contrato.
The past participle must agree with the subject.
A: O projeto foi terminado? B: Sim, ___.
foi / a / feita / casa
Which is feminine?
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesO livro ___ lido.
Find and fix the mistake:
A carta foi escrito.
Which is correct?
O diretor assinou o contrato.
The past participle must agree with the subject.
A: O projeto foi terminado? B: Sim, ___.
foi / a / feita / casa
Which is feminine?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesAs chaves foram ___.
Arrange these words:
Amanhã, o trabalho foi feito.
O livro foi lido ___ aluna.
Arrange these words:
O prédio está construído em 1990.
Eu ___ contratado pela empresa.
Arrange these words:
As flores foi comprada.
Tudo foi ___ (done) por amor.
Arrange these words:
O gol foi marcado de Neymar.
Score: /12
FAQ (8)
Use it when the action is more important than the person doing it.
Yes, 'ser' is the standard auxiliary.
Yes, it must agree with the subject.
It's possible, but 'se' is more common in Brazil.
Just omit the 'por' phrase.
No, 'ser' is for actions, 'estar' for states.
Add 'não' before 'ser'.
Yes, 'O livro será lido'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
ser + participio
Minor differences in agentive usage.
être + participe passé
French uses 'par' for agents.
werden + Partizip II
German uses 'werden' for passive.
Passive form (-reru)
Japanese uses suffixes, not auxiliary verbs.
Passive verb form
Arabic changes the verb stem.
bei (被) construction
Chinese uses a particle before the verb.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
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Continue With
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