Advanced Passive
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The passive voice shifts focus from who did the action to what happened, using either an '-s' suffix or the verb 'bli'.
- Add '-s' to the end of the verb for formal or general actions: 'Boken läses' (The book is read).
- Use 'bli' + past participle for specific, sudden events: 'Han blev biten' (He was bitten).
- Reported passive uses 'sägs' or 'anses' to share rumors or general beliefs: 'Han sägs vara rik'.
Meanings
The passive voice is used when the subject of the sentence is the recipient of the action rather than the performer. In Swedish, this is achieved through the 's-passive', the 'bli-passive', or the 'vara-passive'.
S-Passive (Formal/Process)
Used for formal instructions, general truths, or ongoing processes where the agent is often omitted.
“Huset målas varje år.”
“Beslutet fattas imorgon.”
Bli-Passive (Dynamic/Event)
Focuses on a specific event or a change of state, often used in spoken language.
“Han blev rånad på vägen hem.”
“Bilen blev reparerad igår.”
Reported Passive
Used to report information, rumors, or general opinions without naming a specific source.
“Det sägs att han har slutat.”
“Hon påstås ha vunnit på lotto.”
S-Passive Conjugation by Verb Group
| Verb Group | Infinitive | Present | Past (Preterite) | Supine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 (-ar) | målas | målas | målades | målats |
| Group 2a (-er) | byggas | byggs/bygges | byggdes | byggts |
| Group 2b (-er) | läsas | läses | lästes | lästs |
| Group 3 (Short) | sys | sys | syddes | sytts |
| Group 4 (Strong) | skrivas | skrivs | skrevs | skrivits |
Bli-Passive Agreement
| Subject Gender | Bli (Present) | Past Participle | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| En-word | blir | målad | Bilen blir målad. |
| Ett-word | blir | målat | Huset blir målat. |
| Plural | blir | målade | Böckerna blir målade. |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative (S) | Verb + s | Bilen säljs. |
| Negative (S) | Verb + s + inte | Bilen säljs inte. |
| Question (S) | Verb + s + Subject? | Säljs bilen? |
| Affirmative (Bli) | bli + Participle | Han blev rånad. |
| Negative (Bli) | bli + inte + Participle | Han blev inte rånad. |
| Reported | sägs/anses + infinitive | Han sägs vara rik. |
| Agent | Passive + av + Person | Boken skrevs av Moa. |
طيف الرسمية
Beslutet fattades. (Business/Decision making)
Beslutet togs. (Business/Decision making)
Vi bestämde oss. (Business/Decision making)
Vi spikade det. (Business/Decision making)
The Three Swedish Passives
S-Passive
- målas is painted (general)
Bli-Passive
- blir målad is being painted (event)
Vara-Passive
- är målad is painted (state)
Active vs. Passive Focus
Which Passive to Use?
Is it a formal instruction or general rule?
Is it a specific event/accident?
Common Reported Passive Verbs
Belief
- • anses
- • tros
- • beräknas
Speech
- • sägs
- • påstås
- • ryktas
Fear/Hope
- • befaras
- • hoppas
- • förväntas
Examples by Level
Kaffe säljs här.
Coffee is sold here.
Bilen tvättas.
The car is being washed.
Huset målas.
The house is being painted.
Maten lagas nu.
The food is being cooked now.
Jag blev bjuden på fest.
I was invited to a party.
Boken skrevs av henne.
The book was written by her.
Han blev biten av en hund.
He was bitten by a dog.
Brevet skickades igår.
The letter was sent yesterday.
Det sägs att kungen kommer hit.
It is said that the king is coming here.
Beslutet fattades efter mötet.
The decision was made after the meeting.
Mjölet blandas med smöret.
The flour is mixed with the butter.
Han anses vara en duktig läkare.
He is considered to be a good doctor.
Huset påstås vara hemsökt.
The house is claimed to be haunted.
Frågan har diskuterats flitigt i media.
The question has been discussed extensively in the media.
De misstänks ha stulit pengarna.
They are suspected of having stolen the money.
Arbetet beräknas vara klart på fredag.
The work is estimated to be finished on Friday.
Åtgärderna förutsätts leda till förbättring.
The measures are presupposed to lead to improvement.
Det lär ha funnits en borg här förr.
There is said to have been a castle here before.
Han befaras ha omkommit i olyckan.
He is feared to have perished in the accident.
Texten bör tolkas med försiktighet.
The text should be interpreted with caution.
Reformen föregicks av en livlig debatt.
The reform was preceded by a lively debate.
Det torde kunna ifrågasättas om detta är lagligt.
It ought to be possible to question whether this is legal.
Han tillskrivs ofta äran för upptäckten.
He is often credited with the honor of the discovery.
Byggnaden sägs ha uppförts under 1600-talet.
The building is said to have been erected during the 17th century.
Easily Confused
Both end in -s, but deponents are active. 'Jag andas' (I breathe) is active, while 'Bilen tvättas' (The car is washed) is passive.
Learners confuse the action (bli) with the result (vara).
Some -s verbs mean 'each other', like 'vi ses' (we see each other).
أخطاء شائعة
Bilen tvätta s.
Bilen tvättas.
Jag är bjuden.
Jag blev bjuden.
Huset målas vid honom.
Huset målas av honom.
Kaffe säljer här.
Kaffe säljs här.
Bilen blev stulet.
Bilen blev stulen.
De blev bjuden.
De blev bjudna.
Jag hoppas det görs.
Jag hoppas det görs.
Det säger att han är rik.
Det sägs att han är rik.
Han anses vara en tjuv av polisen.
Polisen anser att han är en tjuv.
Boken har skrivits av han.
Boken har skrivits av honom.
Det lär att han kommer.
Det lär ha varit så.
Sentence Patterns
Det sägs att ___.
___ blev ___ av ___.
Här ___ -s ___.
Beslutet ___ -des av ___.
Real World Usage
Inlägget har delats 100 gånger.
Jag blev sen, tåget blev inställt.
Projektet genomfördes framgångsrikt.
Flyget beräknas landa i tid.
Maten tillagas nu.
Ny lag röstades igenom.
The 'Man' Alternative
The Agent Trap
Passive Politeness
Check the Dictionary
Smart Tips
Use the s-passive in the perfect tense (har + supine + s).
Always use 'bli' instead of '-s' to sound more natural in speech.
Use the s-passive for every step to sound like a pro chef.
Stick to the s-passive; it doesn't require gender agreement like the bli-passive does.
النطق
The -s suffix
The -s at the end of a verb is pronounced clearly as a voiceless 's', like in 'sun'. It does not change the stress of the verb.
Blev agreement
In 'blev', the 'v' is often short and the 'e' is long. In the participle 'målat', the 't' is distinct.
Passive Statement
Bilen → tvättas.
Falling intonation at the end of the verb to indicate a statement of fact.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember the 'S' in S-passive stands for 'System' or 'Standard' — it's the formal way things are done.
Visual Association
Imagine a factory line where robots are working. You don't see the people, only the products being 'made', 'packed', and 'shipped' (görs, packas, skickas).
Rhyme
When the actor is out of sight, add an -s to make it right!
Story
A journalist is writing a story about a mystery. Since they don't know who committed the crime, they write: 'Banken rånades' (The bank was robbed) and 'Pengarna flyttades' (The money was moved). They use the -s to keep the mystery alive.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Look at three signs in a Swedish public space (or online) and identify if they use the s-passive. Rewrite them into active sentences.
ملاحظات ثقافية
The s-passive is the language of 'Myndighetssverige' (Official Sweden). It is used to sound impartial and objective in government letters.
News anchors use the s-passive to maintain a neutral stance, especially when a suspect has not been convicted.
Swedes often use the passive to avoid direct confrontation. Instead of saying 'You didn't pay,' they might say 'Fakturan har inte betalats' (The invoice has not been paid).
The Swedish s-passive evolved from the Old Norse reflexive pronoun 'sik' (self).
Conversation Starters
Vad sägs om den nya filmen?
Har du någonsin blivit överraskad av en vän?
Vilka språk talas i ditt hemland?
Hur anses det vara att jobba i Sverige?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Här ___ (sälja) billiga kläder.
Huset ___ förra året.
Find and fix the mistake:
Boken skrevs vid Astrid Lindgren.
Ett nytt sjukhus ___.
Andas (to breathe)
A: Vet du om han är gift? B: Det ___ att han är det.
Select the correct form.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesHär ___ (sälja) billiga kläder.
Huset ___ förra året.
Find and fix the mistake:
Boken skrevs vid Astrid Lindgren.
Ett nytt sjukhus ___.
Andas (to breathe)
A: Vet du om han är gift? B: Det ___ att han är det.
Select the correct form.
Kallar, Skriver, Ser
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
Use 'bli' for specific, often sudden events (like accidents). Use '-s' for formal writing, instructions, or habits.
The 'bli-passive' is very common in speech. The 's-passive' is more common in writing, but you'll hear it in formal contexts or fixed phrases like 'det löser sig'.
Yes, if you want to mention who did the action. However, the passive is often used specifically to *avoid* mentioning the person.
These are verbs that end in -s but are active. Examples include `andas` (breathe), `hoppas` (hope), and `trivas` (thrive/enjoy).
Add -s to the supine form for the perfect tense (e.g., `skrivits`) or to the preterite for the past (e.g., `skrevs`).
It is neutral to formal. In very casual speech, you might just say 'Folk säger att...' (People say that...).
No, in fact, it often sounds more polite or professional in Swedish because it is less direct.
'Är lagad' describes the state (it is now fixed). 'Blev lagad' describes the event (someone fixed it).
In Other Languages
be + past participle
Swedish uses a suffix (-s) while English uses an auxiliary verb (be).
werden / sein + participle
German uses 'werden' for the process where Swedish uses '-s' or 'bli'.
ser + participle / se + verb
Spanish 'se' is a separate particle, while Swedish '-s' is a suffix.
-reru / -rareru
Japanese passive often implies a negative emotional impact on the subject.
Internal vowel change (Majhul)
Arabic uses vowel patterns; Swedish uses suffixes and auxiliary verbs.
bèi (被)
Chinese uses a specific word (bèi) to mark the passive, whereas Swedish modifies the verb.
