B1 · Intermediate Chapter 34

Passive Voice

4 Total Rules
24 examples
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of focusing on the action rather than the performer in Romanian.

  • Construct passive sentences using the verb 'a fi'.
  • Distinguish between active and passive perspectives.
  • Apply passive structures in formal and professional contexts.
Shift your focus: Master the Romanian passive voice.

What You'll Learn

Constructing the passive voice with 'a fi'. Focusing on actions rather than agents.

  • Passive Voice Construction
    The Romanian passive voice combines 'a fi' with a matching participle to emphasize the action's recipient over the doer.
  • Passive vs Active
    Use se + singular verb to report information objectively without naming a specific subject or source.
  • Agentive Passive
    Transform active sentences by using 'a fi' plus an agreed participle and 'de către' to highlight the result.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Transform active sentences into passive constructions accurately.

Key Examples (6)

1

Cina este pregătită de mama.

Dinner is prepared by mother.

Passive Voice Construction
2

Merele sunt mâncate de copii.

The apples are eaten by children.

Passive Voice Construction
3

Se spune că iarna aceasta va fi foarte grea.

It is said that this winter will be very harsh.

Passive vs Active
4

Se știe că el este cel mai bun inginer din oraș.

It is known that he is the best engineer in town.

Passive vs Active
5

Scrisoarea este scrisă de către Maria.

The letter is written by Maria.

Agentive Passive
6

Hoții au fost prinși de poliție.

The thieves were caught by the police.

Agentive Passive

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

The Adjective Trick

Treat the participle exactly like an adjective. If the subject is a 'she', the verb needs a 'dress' (the -ă ending)!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive Voice Construction
🎯

The Rumor Mill

Use Se aude că... (It is heard that...) when you want to share juicy office gossip without getting in trouble. It’s the ultimate 'not my fault' phrase.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive vs Active
💡

Agreement is key

Always check the subject's gender and number before writing the participle.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive in Formal Contexts
💡

The 'De Către' Rule

Always use de către when the agent is a person or a group of people. It sounds much more natural and correct in B1 level writing.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Agentive Passive

Key Vocabulary (5)

a fi to be de către by (agent) acțiune action pasiv passive formal formal

Real-World Preview

file-text

Office Report

Review Summary

  • Subiect + a fi + Participiu
  • ... de către + Agent

Common Mistakes

The past participle must agree with the feminine subject 'cartea'.

Wrong: Cartea este citit.
Correct: Cartea este citită.

Ensure agreement and use 'de către' for the agent.

Wrong: Scrisoarea a fost scris de mine.
Correct: Scrisoarea a fost scrisă de către mine.

Again, feminine agreement is crucial for the passive voice.

Wrong: Mâncarea a fost mâncat.
Correct: Mâncarea a fost mâncată.

Next Steps

You are making incredible progress! Keep practicing these structures to sound more professional.

Read a news article and highlight all passive sentences.

Continue to: Reported Speech

Quick Practice (10)

Complete the formal announcement about a meeting.

Se ___ că ședința a fost amânată.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: anunță
The 3rd person singular 'anunță' fits the passive reporting structure.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive vs Active

Fill in the blank with the correct passive form.

Cartea ___ (scrie) de autor.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: este scrisă
Agreement with feminine 'Cartea'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive in Formal Contexts

Choose the correct sentence.

Which sentence is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Decizia a fost luată.
Correct agreement.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive in Formal Contexts

Choose the correct form of the participle to complete the sentence.

Cărțile au fost ___ de către autor.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: semnate
The subject 'cărțile' is feminine plural, so the participle must be 'semnate'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Agentive Passive

Choose the correct reporting phrase for a general rumor.

___ că noul iPhone va fi foarte scump.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Se zice
We need the reflexive 'se' and the singular verb 'zice' for an impersonal report.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive vs Active

Identify the correct formal 'by' preposition.

Proiectul a fost finalizat ___ echipa noastră.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: de către
'De către' is the standard way to introduce the agent in a passive sentence.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive Voice Construction

Complete the sentence with the correct preposition for a formal context.

Decizia a fost luată ___ consiliu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: de către
'De către' is the standard preposition to introduce an agent in the passive voice.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Agentive Passive

Select the correct past tense form for 'It was believed'.

___ că pământul este plat.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ambele sunt corecte
Both 'S-a crezut' (Perfect Compus) and 'Se credea' (Imperfect) can be used for reporting past beliefs.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive vs Active

Complete the sentence in the past tense (Perfect Compus).

Mesajul ___ trimis ieri de către director.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a fost
'Ieri' (yesterday) indicates the past tense, so 'a fost' is the correct choice.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passive Voice Construction

Select the correct form of the verb 'a fi' for a plural subject in the present tense.

Elevii ___ lăudați de profesor.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sunt
'Elevii' is third person plural, requiring 'sunt' in the present tense.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Agentive Passive

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

It is a sentence structure where the subject receives the action. Instead of 'I eat the apple,' you say 'The apple is eaten' (Mărul este mâncat).
You use the conjugated form of a fi (to be) plus the past participle of your main verb. For example: este terminat (is finished).
It's a way to state information without naming a specific subject. You use phrases like se spune că (it is said that) to sound more objective.
Using se makes the sentence impersonal and formal. Oamenii spun is active and sounds more like a casual observation.
To focus on the action, not the person.
Yes, it is standard for formal writing.
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Relative Clauses
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Reported Speech
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