Passive Voice: Focusing on the Action (`Voz Passiva`)
ser or se to highlight the result of an action over the doer.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The passive voice shifts the focus from the doer to the action or the object receiving it.
- Use 'ser' + past participle for analytical passive: 'O livro foi escrito por ele.'
- Use the particle 'se' for synthetic passive: 'Alugam-se casas.'
- Ensure the participle agrees in gender and number with the subject: 'As cartas foram enviadas.'
Overview
The passive voice, or Voz Passiva in Portuguese, is a fundamental grammatical structure used to shift focus within a sentence. Instead of highlighting the agent (the one performing the action), it emphasizes the patient (the one receiving the action) or the action itself. This grammatical device is crucial for expressing objectivity, attributing responsibility vaguely, or when the agent is unknown or irrelevant.
Mastering the passive voice is essential for B2 learners to achieve a more sophisticated and nuanced expression in Portuguese, moving beyond simple active constructions.
Portuguese primarily employs two forms of the passive voice: the Voz Passiva Analítica and the Voz Passiva Sintética. The analytical passive uses an auxiliary verb, typically ser, followed by a past participle. The synthetic passive, conversely, utilizes the reflexive particle se alongside a verb.
Both forms serve the same ultimate purpose of reorienting sentence emphasis, but they are used in distinct contexts and carry subtle stylistic differences.
How This Grammar Works
por or pelo/pela.O aluno escreveu o ensaio (The student wrote the essay). Here, o aluno is the agent and focus. In its analytical passive form, O ensaio foi escrito pelo aluno (The essay was written by the student), o ensaio (the essay) becomes the subject, drawing attention to the outcome rather than the doer.Aluga-se casas (Houses for rent/Houses are rented), the focus is purely on the action (alugar) and the object (casas), with no mention of who is doing the renting.Word Order Rules
se particle.ser is conjugated to match the tense and person of the original active verb, and the main verb becomes a past participle that agrees in gender and number with the new subject.- Active: [Subject] + [Verb] + [Direct Object]
- Passive: [Direct Object (new Subject)] +
ser(conjugated) + [Past Participle] (agrees with new Subject) +por/pelo/pela+ [Original Subject (Agent, optional)]
- Active:
O professor corrigiu a prova.(The professor corrected the exam.) - Passive:
A prova foi corrigida pelo professor.(The exam was corrected by the professor.)
se attached to a verb, which then agrees in number with the grammatical subject that follows it. The agent is never expressed.- Passive: [Verb (3rd person singular/plural)] +
se+ [Grammatical Subject (Object of action)]
Aluga-se apartamento.(Apartment for rent/An apartment is rented.)Alugam-se apartamentos.(Apartments for rent/Apartments are rented.)
aluga vs. alugam) changes to agree with the number of the noun (apartamento vs. apartamentos). The se here serves as an indicator of the passive voice, also known as a partícula apassivadora.Formation Pattern
Ser + Past Participle
ser in the same tense and mood as the original active verb.
por or its contractions (pelo, pela, pelos, pelas).
Ele lê o livro. (He reads the book.)
O livro é lido por ele. (The book is read by him.)
Nós fizemos a tarefa. (We did the homework.)
A tarefa foi feita por nós. (The homework was done by us.)
Ser Conjugation Examples (for passive voice, matching active tense):
Ser (3rd Person Singular) | Ser (3rd Person Plural) |
é | são |
foi | foram |
será | serão |
era | eram |
seria | seriam |
escrito) |
-o (escrito) |
-a (escrita) |
-os (escritos) |\
-as (escritas) |
se
se to the verb.
Vende-se casa. (A house is sold/House for sale.)
Compram-se livros. (Books are bought.)
Construiu-se um novo prédio. (A new building was constructed.)
When To Use It
- When the Agent is Unknown or Irrelevant: This is perhaps the most common reason. If you don't know who performed an action, or if the identity of the doer is unimportant, the passive voice is the most natural choice.
O meu carro foi roubado ontem.(My car was stolen yesterday.) – You don't know who stole it.Português é falado em nove países.(Portuguese is spoken in nine countries.) – The specific people speaking it are irrelevant to the statement.
- To Emphasize the Action or its Recipient: When the event itself, or the person/thing affected, holds more significance than the agent, the passive voice brings it to the forefront.
A decisão foi anunciada pela presidente.(The decision was announced by the president.) – The focus is on the announcement of the decision, not necessarily on the president.Os resultados da pesquisa foram publicados na revista científica.(The research results were published in the scientific journal.) – The publication of the results is the key piece of information.
- For Formality, Objectivity, and Impersonality: The passive voice lends itself well to formal writing, scientific reports, news articles, and official statements where an objective or impersonal tone is desired. It creates a sense of detachment, often used to avoid direct accusations or to present information as universally true.
Medidas de segurança foram implementadas após o incidente.(Security measures were implemented after the incident.) – Sounds more formal and objective than
Analytical Passive Formation (Ser + Participle)
| Tense | Auxiliary (Ser) | Past Participle | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Present
|
é / são
|
feito(a/s)
|
O bolo é feito.
|
|
Past (Pretérito)
|
foi / foram
|
feito(a/s)
|
O bolo foi feito.
|
|
Imperfect
|
era / eram
|
feito(a/s)
|
O bolo era feito.
|
|
Future
|
será / serão
|
feito(a/s)
|
O bolo será feito.
|
|
Conditional
|
seria / seriam
|
feito(a/s)
|
O bolo seria feito.
|
|
Perfect (Compound)
|
tem sido
|
feito(a/s)
|
O bolo tem sido feito.
|
Synthetic Passive (Verb + Se)
| Subject | Verb | Particle | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Singular
|
Vende
|
se
|
Vende-se casa.
|
|
Plural
|
Vendem
|
se
|
Vendem-se casas.
|
Meanings
The passive voice is used when the focus is on the object of an action rather than the subject performing it. It is essential for formal writing, news reports, and objective descriptions.
Analytical Passive
Focusing on the result of an action using the auxiliary verb 'ser'.
“O relatório foi finalizado.”
“As janelas foram abertas.”
Synthetic Passive
Using the particle 'se' to indicate a passive state, common in signs and general statements.
“Vendem-se apartamentos.”
“Precisa-se de funcionários.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + ser + participle
|
A casa foi pintada.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + não + ser + participle
|
A casa não foi pintada.
|
|
Interrogative
|
Ser + subject + participle?
|
A casa foi pintada?
|
|
Synthetic
|
Verb + se + subject
|
Alugam-se casas.
|
|
Agent
|
Passive + por + agent
|
O livro foi escrito por ele.
|
|
Future
|
Subject + será + participle
|
O teste será feito.
|
Formality Spectrum
A casa foi vendida. (Real estate)
Vendeu-se a casa. (Real estate)
Venderam a casa. (Real estate)
Passaram a casa pra frente. (Real estate)
Passive Voice Structure
Analytical
- Ser To be
- Participle Past participle
Synthetic
- Verb Verb
- Se Particle
Examples by Level
O carro é lavado.
The car is washed.
A porta é aberta.
The door is opened.
O café é servido.
The coffee is served.
A lição é feita.
The lesson is done.
O livro foi lido por ela.
The book was read by her.
As chaves foram perdidas.
The keys were lost.
O jantar foi preparado.
The dinner was prepared.
As janelas foram fechadas.
The windows were closed.
Alugam-se apartamentos aqui.
Apartments are for rent here.
Precisa-se de ajuda.
Help is needed.
O relatório será enviado amanhã.
The report will be sent tomorrow.
As regras foram ignoradas.
The rules were ignored.
A decisão foi tomada pelo conselho.
The decision was made by the board.
O problema foi resolvido rapidamente.
The problem was solved quickly.
Muitas mudanças foram implementadas.
Many changes were implemented.
O contrato foi assinado ontem.
The contract was signed yesterday.
O projeto teria sido concluído se houvesse verba.
The project would have been completed if there were funds.
A proposta foi rejeitada, o que foi lamentado por todos.
The proposal was rejected, which was regretted by all.
As evidências foram analisadas minuciosamente.
The evidence was analyzed thoroughly.
Sabe-se que a economia está mudando.
It is known that the economy is changing.
Foi-nos comunicado que a reunião fora cancelada.
It was communicated to us that the meeting had been canceled.
Acredita-se que tais medidas sejam necessárias.
It is believed that such measures are necessary.
O manuscrito foi encontrado em condições precárias.
The manuscript was found in precarious conditions.
Têm-se observado um aumento na demanda.
An increase in demand has been observed.
Easily Confused
Both use 'se'.
Both are passive.
Learners often use active when passive is needed for formality.
Common Mistakes
O livro é lido por eu.
O livro é lido por mim.
A casa é construído.
A casa é construída.
Os carros é lavado.
Os carros são lavados.
O bolo foi comi.
O bolo foi comido.
Vende-se casas.
Vendem-se casas.
A carta foi escrita por ele.
A carta foi escrita por ele.
O jantar foi feito por ela.
O jantar foi feito por ela.
Precisa-se de funcionários.
Precisa-se de funcionários.
A decisão foi tomada pelo conselho.
A decisão foi tomada pelo conselho.
O projeto será finalizado.
O projeto será finalizado.
Foi-nos dito que a reunião foi cancelada.
Foi-nos dito que a reunião fora cancelada.
Acredita-se que ele é culpado.
Acredita-se que ele seja culpado.
O relatório foi lido por todos.
O relatório foi lido por todos.
Têm-se observado mudanças.
Têm-se observado mudanças.
Sentence Patterns
O/A ___ foi ___ por ___.
___-se ___ aqui.
Acredita-se que ___.
O ___ teria sido ___ se ___.
Real World Usage
Lei foi aprovada pelo congresso.
Alugam-se quartos.
O projeto foi liderado por mim.
O botão deve ser pressionado.
Foto tirada por @usuario.
Pedido foi entregue.
Check the subject
Don't overdo it
Use 'se' for signs
Formal vs Informal
Smart Tips
Use the passive voice to maintain objectivity.
Use the synthetic passive with 'se'.
Ensure the participle agrees with the subject.
Use the agent 'por' to specify who did the action.
Pronunciation
Participle endings
Ensure the '-do' or '-da' is clearly pronounced.
Formal statement
A casa foi vendida. ↘
Falling intonation for a declarative sentence.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember: 'Ser' is the key, the participle must agree, and the focus is on the thing, not the person.
Visual Association
Imagine a spotlight moving from a person to an object. The person fades into the background, and the object glows. This is the passive voice.
Rhyme
Se o objeto é o foco da ação, o verbo 'ser' entra na composição.
Story
Once there was a cake. The cake was baked by the baker. The cake was eaten by the guests. The cake was enjoyed by everyone. The cake is the hero of the story, not the people.
Word Web
Challenge
Look at 5 objects in your room and write a passive sentence for each (e.g., 'A luz é ligada').
Cultural Notes
The synthetic passive with 'se' is extremely common in advertisements and signs.
The analytical passive is slightly more common in formal writing than in Brazil.
Passive voice is the standard for objectivity in academic papers.
Derived from Latin passive voice constructions.
Conversation Starters
O que foi feito hoje?
Como as decisões são tomadas na sua empresa?
Acredita-se que o futuro será melhor?
O que tem sido discutido ultimamente?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
O livro ___ escrito por ele.
Find and fix the mistake:
A casa foram pintadas.
___ casas aqui.
O arquiteto desenhou a casa.
Precisa-se de funcionários.
A: O relatório foi enviado? B: Sim, ___.
foi / a / tomada / decisão
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesO livro ___ escrito por ele.
Find and fix the mistake:
A casa foram pintadas.
___ casas aqui.
O arquiteto desenhou a casa.
Precisa-se de funcionários.
A: O relatório foi enviado? B: Sim, ___.
foi / a / tomada / decisão
Active: Ele leu o livro.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesAs janelas _______ (limpar) toda semana.
The book was written by a famous author.
Identify the passive structure:
Match these pairs:
Arrange: [será] [A] [entregue] [encomenda] [amanhã]
As propostas foram aceito.
_______ (procurar) novos talentos para o show.
English is spoken in many countries.
How do you say 'The laws were updated'?
Match the noun to the correct preposition + article:
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
Use it when the action or the object is more important than the person doing it.
Yes, especially in formal writing and signs.
Just add 'não' before the verb 'ser'.
Yes, use 'será' + participle.
Analytical uses 'ser', synthetic uses 'se'.
You must match the gender and number of the subject.
Very similar, yes.
Yes, it sounds professional.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Voz pasiva
Agreement rules are nearly identical.
Voix passive
French does not use the 'se' synthetic passive in the same way.
Passiv
German uses 'werden' instead of 'ser'.
Ukemi (受身)
Japanese passive often implies a negative impact on the subject.
Al-Mabni lil-Majhool
Arabic passive is morphological, not auxiliary-based.
Bei-zi ju
Chinese passive is strictly particle-based.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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