B1 · Intermediário Capítulo 10

Focusing on the Action: Passive Voice

3 Regras totais
31 exemplos
5 min
Regras neste capítulo Prática rápida

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Shift your focus from who did it to what happened.

  • Master the 'Verb + jānā' structure to form passive sentences.
  • Report events and news using the past passive voice.
  • Express physical inability or impersonal rules naturally.
Focus on the result, not the doer!

O que você vai aprender

Hey friend! Ready to take your Hindi up a notch? In this awesome chapter, we're diving into the Passive Voice in Hindi. You might ask, why? Well, there are many times when you don't know who did something, or it simply doesn't matter who did it! Only the result or the action itself is important, not the person performing it. Here, you'll learn how to say a ton of things using the

Verb-Participle + jānā
structure. First, we'll see how you can hide the doer or express that you physically can't do something. For example, you want to say
The window was broken
but you don't know who broke it. Or maybe you want to say
Smoking is not allowed here.
Next, we'll focus on the past tense, meaning was done. Here, you'll learn how to use the past participle to report news or make your tone more official, like TV news reports or formal announcements. Finally, we'll connect all these pieces to learn how to talk about actions that happened without a doer, making your speech truly professional and natural. By the end of this chapter, you'll be able to speak about events like a pro Hindi speaker, without getting confused about who did what, understand and even use important news phrases yourself, and most importantly, make your spoken tone completely natural and native. So let's go, there's a lot to learn!

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 ones using the correct gender agreement.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to describe historical events or news reports using the past passive 'gayā' structure.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to express that you cannot physically perform an action using the 'se... nahi' passive construction.

Guia do capítulo

Overview

Hey there, Hindi learners! Ready to level up your language skills? This chapter is your gateway to mastering the Passive Voice in Hindi, a crucial element for anyone aiming for B1 Hindi grammar proficiency.
Why is it so important? Well, sometimes you don't know who performed an action, or perhaps it's simply irrelevant. What truly matters is the action itself or its outcome.
Think about news headlines, formal announcements, or even just politely avoiding assigning blame – the passive voice is your go-to!
Understanding the Hindi passive voice will transform your ability to communicate naturally, allowing you to articulate events without always needing a specific doer. We’ll delve into the versatile
Verb-Participle + जाना (jānā)
structure, which is the backbone of forming passive sentences in Hindi. You'll learn how to express things like
The work was done
(काम किया गया) or
Smoking is not allowed
(धूम्रपान की अनुमति नहीं है).
This skill is vital for achieving a more sophisticated and native-like flow in your conversations. So, let’s unlock this powerful grammatical tool and make your Hindi truly shine!

How This Grammar Works

At its heart, the Hindi passive voice revolves around the auxiliary verb जाना (jānā), meaning to go, but here it acts as a marker for passivity. The general structure is Verb Participle + जाना. The participle agrees with the subject of the passive sentence, and जाना conjugates according to tense, aspect, and agreement.
Let's break down the rules covered in this chapter:
1. Hindi Passive Voice (Getting Things Done): This structure is used when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or when expressing inability.
* Structure: Verb Stem + आ/ई/ए (participle ending) + जाना (jānā)
* Example (hiding the doer):
काम किया जाता है। (Work is done.) – Here, we don't know or care who does the work.
पार्टी की तैयारी की जा रही है। (Party preparations are being made.)
* Example (expressing inability): This often uses the agent marker से (se) before the doer.
मुझसे चला नहीं जाता। (I cannot walk / Walking is not possible for me.)
उससे यह काम नहीं किया जाएगा। (He won't be able to do this work.)
2. Hindi Passive Voice: Past Participle (Was Done): This is particularly useful for reporting events, news, or adopting a formal tone. It focuses on actions completed in the past.
* Structure: Verb Stem + आ/ई/ए (participle ending) + जाना (jānā) in the past tense (e.g., गया, गई, गए - gayā, gaī, gaye). The participle and जाना agree with the grammatical subject.
* Example (news report/formal):
खिड़की तोड़ी गई। (The window was broken.) – The focus is on the broken window, not who broke it.
यह घोषणा कल की गई थी। (This announcement was made yesterday.)
कई किताबें पढ़ी गईं। (Many books were read.)
3. Hindi Passive Voice: Actions without Doers (Verb + जाना): This rule reinforces the idea that the action itself is paramount. It’s essentially the same as the general passive voice, emphasizing that the action happens or is done, often without explicitly mentioning an agent.
It's about the event taking place.
* यह नियम लागू किया जाएगा। (This rule will be implemented.)
* खाना खाया गया। (Food was eaten.)
By understanding these applications of जाना (jānā), you gain immense flexibility in expressing actions in Hindi, moving beyond simple active constructions and sounding more like a native speaker.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong: मैंने काम किया गया। (I was done the work.)
✓ Correct: मुझसे काम किया गया। (The work was done by me.) OR काम किया गया। (The work was done.)
*Explanation:* When expressing the agent in a passive sentence, से (se) is typically used with the agent (मुझसे - *by me*), not the active agent marker ने (ne). If the agent is unknown or irrelevant, it can be omitted entirely.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: किताब पढ़ा गया। (The book was read.)
✓ Correct: किताब पढ़ी गई। (The book was read.)
*Explanation:* The participle (पढ़ी) and the form of जाना (gayī) must agree in gender and number with the grammatical subject of the passive sentence, which is किताब (kitāb - *book*), a feminine noun.

Real Conversations

A

A

यह प्रोजेक्ट कब तक पूरा किया जाएगा? (By when will this project be completed?)
B

B

इसे अगले महीने तक पूरा किया जाने की उम्मीद है। (It is expected to be completed by next month.)
A

A

क्या यहां धूम्रपान की अनुमति है? (Is smoking allowed here?)
B

B

नहीं, यहां धूम्रपान की अनुमति नहीं है। (No, smoking is not allowed here.)
A

A

समाचार में क्या बताया गया? (What was reported in the news?)
B

B

बताया गया कि नई नीतियां लागू की जाएंगी। (It was reported that new policies would be implemented.)

Quick FAQ

Q

How is the Hindi passive voice different from simply using से (se) to mean by?

While से (se) can mark the agent in a passive construction, the true passive voice in Hindi always involves the Verb Participle + जाना (jānā) structure. से (se) alone doesn't make a sentence passive; it just indicates the agent when the verb is already passive.

Q

Can all Hindi verbs be used in the passive voice with जाना (jānā)?

Generally, transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) are most commonly used in the passive voice. Intransitive verbs can sometimes be used to express inability, like मुझसे चला नहीं जाता (I cannot walk).

Q

Is the passive voice common in everyday Hindi conversation?

Yes, it is quite common, especially when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or when expressing inability or formality. It adds a layer of sophistication and naturalness to your speech, particularly in formal contexts or when discussing general truths.

Cultural Context

The passive voice in Hindi is more than just a grammatical rule; it's a tool for nuanced communication. Native speakers frequently use it in formal settings like news reports, official announcements, or academic discussions to maintain objectivity and focus on the event rather than the individual. It's also culturally significant for politely avoiding direct blame or when discussing unfortunate events without singling out a culprit.
Furthermore, the inability passive (e.g., मुझसे खाया नहीं जाता - *I cannot eat*) is a very common and natural way to express physical limitations or lack of desire, making your Hindi grammar B1 level sound much more authentic.

Exemplos-chave (6)

1

Yahan Hindi boli jaati hai.

Hindi é falado aqui.

Voz Passiva em Hindi (Fazendo Acontecer)
2

Mujhse aur nahi chala jaata.

Eu não consigo mais andar.

Voz Passiva em Hindi (Fazendo Acontecer)
3

Usse yah kām nahīñ kiyā gayā.

Ele não conseguiu fazer este trabalho.

Voz Passiva em Hindi: Particípio Passado (Foi feito)
4

Chōr pulis dvārā pakaṛā gayā.

O ladrão foi pego pela polícia.

Voz Passiva em Hindi: Particípio Passado (Foi feito)
5

चाय पी गई।

O chá foi bebido.

Voz Passiva em Hindi: Ações sem Agente (Verb + جانا)
6

मैसेज भेजा जा रहा है।

A mensagem está sendo enviada.

Voz Passiva em Hindi: Ações sem Agente (Verb + جانا)

Dicas e truques (3)

💡

A armadilha do 'Jaana'

Não confunda o auxiliar da passiva 'jaana' com o verbo 'ir'. Na voz passiva, ele não indica movimento, apenas ajuda a formar o tempo verbal, como em Kaam kiya gaya.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Passiva em Hindi (Fazendo Acontecer)
🎯

O Truque da 'Incapacidade'

Se quiser soar como um nativo quando estiver cansado, diga «मुझसे अब और नहीं चला जाता» (Não consigo mais andar). Soa muito mais natural que a forma ativa.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Passiva em Hindi: Particípio Passado (Foi feito)
💡

O Objeto é o Rei

Fique de olho no gênero do objeto! Se estiver falando de 'chai' (feminino), o verbo deve terminar em 'ee', como em «चाय पी गई।»
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Passiva em Hindi: Ações sem Agente (Verb + جانا)

Vocabulário-chave (6)

खिड़की(khidki) window समाचार(samachar) news अनुमति(anumati) permission तोड़ना(todna) to break भेजना(bhejna) to send बनाना(banana) to make/build

Real-World Preview

tv

Watching the Evening News

briefcase

The Formal Office Sign

Review Summary

  • [Perfective Participle] + [jānā (conjugated)]
  • [Perfective Participle] + [gayā/gaye/gayī]
  • [Subject + se] + [Perfective Participle] + [nahī̃ jātā]

Erros comuns

Do not use 'ne' in passive sentences. If you want to mention the doer, use 'ke dwara' or 'se', but usually, the doer is just omitted.

Wrong: मैंने खाना बनाया जाता है (Maine khana banaya jaata hai)
Correto: खाना बनाया जाता है (Khana banaya jaata hai)

The verb must agree with the object. Since 'Chai' (tea) is feminine, both the participle 'pee' and the auxiliary 'gayi' must be feminine.

Wrong: चाय पिया गया (Chai piya gaya)
Correto: चाय पी गई (Chai pee gayi)

To express inability, you must use the passive structure (Participle + jaata), not the simple present tense.

Wrong: मुझसे नहीं पढ़ता (Mujhse nahi padhta)
Correto: मुझसे पढ़ा नहीं जाता (Mujhse padha nahi jaata)

Next Steps

You've reached a major milestone! Passive voice is the bridge to formal and literary Hindi. Keep practicing, and you'll be reading newspapers in no time!

Read a Hindi news headline and identify the passive verb.

Describe three things in your room using the passive voice (e.g., 'The door is closed').

Continue to: Conditionals, Experiences & Habitual Actions

Prática rápida (3)

Qual frase diz corretamente 'Hindi é falado aqui'?

Escolha a frase correta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: यहाँ हिंदी बोली जाती है।
'Hindi' é um substantivo feminino, então o verbo deve ser 'boli jaati'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Passiva em Hindi: Ações sem Agente (Verb + جانا)

Preencha a lacuna com a forma passiva correta de 'khana' (comer).

सारा खाना ___ । (Toda a comida foi comida)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: खाया गया
'Khaana' é masculino singular, então usamos 'khaaya' + 'gaya' (passado passivo).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Passiva em Hindi: Ações sem Agente (Verb + جانا)

Corrija o erro nesta frase de 'incapacidade'.

मुझसे यह किताब नहीं पढ़ा जाता।

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: मुझसे यह किताब não पढ़ी जाती।
'Kitaab' (livro) é feminino, então o verbo passivo deve concordar: 'padhee jaatee'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Passiva em Hindi: Ações sem Agente (Verb + جانا)

Score: /3

Perguntas comuns (6)

No Hindi, ele funciona como um marcador gramatical, parecido com o 'ser/estar' do português. Nesse contexto, ele perde o sentido de 'movimento' e vira apenas um auxiliar, como em Kaam kiya gaya.
Tecnicamente sim, mas é raro. A estrutura 'se + passiva' é quase sempre usada para frases negativas de incapacidade ou perguntas. Para dizer 'eu consigo comer', o normal é
Mai kha sakta hu
.
Sim! Na voz passiva padrão, uma forma de jānā deve seguir o particípio passado, como em «किया गया» (foi feito).
Nunca! A partícula ne é exclusiva para sujeitos ativos. Na passiva, usamos se como em «मुझसे».
Geralmente usamos com verbos transitivos (que pedem objeto). Verbos como 'dormir' raramente aparecem na passiva, a menos que seja para expressar incapacidade como em «मुझसे सोया नहीं जाता।»
Sim, 'ke dvaara' é bem formal. No dia a dia, usamos 'se' ou simplesmente omitimos quem fez a ação, como em «काम किया गया।»
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