Formation of Past Passive Participles
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The Past Passive Participle describes an action received by an object, acting like an adjective that agrees in gender and number.
- Most verbs add -n, -en, or -t to the stem: 'raditi' -> 'rađen'.
- It acts like an adjective, so it must match the noun's gender and number: 'Knjiga je napisana'.
- It is used to form the passive voice: 'Kuća je sagrađena' (The house was built).
Formation of Past Passive Participle
| Infinitive | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Raditi
|
Rađen
|
Rađena
|
Rađeno
|
Rađeni
|
|
Pisati
|
Pisan
|
Pisana
|
Pisano
|
Pisani
|
|
Zatvoriti
|
Zatvoren
|
Zatvorena
|
Zatvoreno
|
Zatvoreni
|
|
Otvoriti
|
Otvoren
|
Otvorena
|
Otvoreno
|
Otvoreni
|
|
Kupiti
|
Kupljen
|
Kupljena
|
Kupljeno
|
Kupljeni
|
|
Piti
|
Popijen
|
Popijena
|
Popijeno
|
Popijeni
|
Meanings
The Past Passive Participle is a verbal adjective used to express that an action has been performed on a subject, often used in passive voice constructions.
Passive Voice
Used to focus on the object of an action rather than the doer.
“Ručak je kuhan.”
“Vrata su zatvorena.”
Adjectival Use
Describes a state resulting from a completed action.
“Otvoren prozor.”
“Izgubljen ključ.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Noun + biti + Participle
|
Knjiga je napisana.
|
|
Negative
|
Noun + nije + Participle
|
Knjiga nije napisana.
|
|
Question
|
Je li + Noun + Participle?
|
Je li knjiga napisana?
|
|
Plural
|
Nouns + su + Participle-pl
|
Knjige su napisane.
|
|
Past
|
Noun + bio je + Participle
|
Knjiga je bila napisana.
|
|
Future
|
Noun + bit će + Participle
|
Knjiga će biti napisana.
|
Espectro de formalidade
Posao je završen. (Workplace)
Posao je gotov. (Workplace)
Posao je gotov. (Workplace)
Sve je gotovo. (Workplace)
Participle Agreement
Gender
- Masculine n
- Feminine na
- Neuter no
Number
- Singular 1
- Plural ni/ne/na
Active vs Passive
Exemplos por nível
Knjiga je napisana.
The book is written.
Prozor je otvoren.
The window is open.
Hrana je gotova.
The food is ready.
Vrata su zatvorena.
The door is closed.
Pismo je poslano jučer.
The letter was sent yesterday.
Soba je očišćena.
The room is cleaned.
Auto je popravljen.
The car is repaired.
Kava je popijena.
The coffee is drunk.
Odluka je donesena na sastanku.
The decision was made at the meeting.
Projekt je završen na vrijeme.
The project was finished on time.
Izgubljen novčanik je pronađen.
The lost wallet was found.
Pjesma je otpjevana s puno emocija.
The song was sung with much emotion.
Zakon je usvojen jednoglasno.
The law was adopted unanimously.
Svi su dokazi pažljivo analizirani.
All evidence was carefully analyzed.
Ovaj je problem često zanemaren.
This problem is often neglected.
Rezultati su objavljeni u časopisu.
The results were published in the journal.
Djelo je napisano pod utjecajem klasika.
The work was written under the influence of classics.
Grad je bio opkoljen neprijateljskom vojskom.
The city was besieged by the enemy army.
Sve su mogućnosti bile razmotrene.
All possibilities had been considered.
Odluka je bila temeljito obrazložena.
The decision was thoroughly explained.
Njegovo je ime bilo zauvijek zaboravljeno.
His name was forgotten forever.
Svečano je obećano da će se promjene provesti.
It was solemnly promised that changes would be implemented.
Teorija je bila osporena od strane stručnjaka.
The theory was challenged by experts.
Bilo je jasno da je povjerenje izgubljeno.
It was clear that trust was lost.
Fácil de confundir
Learners mix up 'radio' (active) and 'rađen' (passive).
Participles look like adjectives.
Passive voice vs reflexive.
Erros comuns
Knjiga je napisao.
Knjiga je napisana.
Prozor je otvorena.
Prozor je otvoren.
Vrata je zatvoren.
Vrata su zatvorena.
Hrana je kuhano.
Hrana je kuhana.
Pismo je poslan.
Pismo je poslano.
Sobe su očišćen.
Sobe su očišćene.
Auto je popravljena.
Auto je popravljen.
Odluka je donesen.
Odluka je donesena.
Projekt je završen.
Projekt je završen.
Dokazi su analiziran.
Dokazi su analizirani.
Teorija je osporen.
Teorija je osporena.
Bilo je obećan.
Bilo je obećano.
Sve su mogućnosti bio razmotren.
Sve su mogućnosti bile razmotrene.
Padrões de frases
___ je ___.
___ su ___.
Odluka je ___ na sastanku.
Sve je bilo ___.
Real World Usage
Slika je objavljena.
Poruka je poslana.
Projekt je završen.
Muzej je zatvoren.
Hrana je pripremljena.
Zakon je usvojen.
Check the Gender
Don't confuse active/passive
Use it for signs
Formal tone
Smart Tips
Always check the noun gender before picking the suffix.
Use passive voice to sound objective.
Identify the participle to understand the state.
Use passive for actions where the actor is unknown.
Pronúncia
Suffix stress
Stress usually falls on the syllable before the participle suffix.
Declarative
Knjiga je napisana. ↘
Falling intonation indicates a completed statement.
Memorize
Mnemônico
Think of the 'N' in 'Done'. Most passive participles end in N, like 'Napisana' (Written).
Associação visual
Imagine a giant 'N' stamp being pressed onto a finished document. Every time you see a finished task, visualize that 'N' stamp.
Rhyme
If the action is done, add an N, for everyone.
Story
Ana finished her painting. She looked at the canvas and said, 'Slika je naslikana' (The painting is painted). She felt proud. The work was done.
Word Web
Desafio
Look around your room and describe 3 things using the passive participle (e.g., 'Prozor je otvoren').
Notas culturais
Passive voice is preferred in official documents to maintain neutrality.
Sometimes they use different participle forms, but standard Croatian is understood everywhere.
Very standard usage in formal settings.
Derived from Proto-Slavic passive participles.
Iniciadores de conversa
Je li tvoj posao završen?
Je li ova knjiga napisana na hrvatskom?
Kako je ova odluka donesena?
Smatraš li da je povjerenje izgubljeno?
Temas para diário
Erros comuns
Test Yourself
Knjiga je ___ (napisati).
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Vrata je zatvoren.
On je napisao pismo. -> Pismo je ___.
Passive participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.
A: Je li posao gotov? B: Da, posao je ___.
je / odluka / donesena.
Prozor je ___.
Score: /8
Exercicios praticos
8 exercisesKnjiga je ___ (napisati).
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Vrata je zatvoren.
On je napisao pismo. -> Pismo je ___.
Passive participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.
A: Je li posao gotov? B: Da, posao je ___.
je / odluka / donesena.
Prozor je ___.
Score: /8
Perguntas frequentes (8)
Active focuses on the doer, passive focuses on the object.
No, only transitive verbs that can take an object.
Because it acts like an adjective and must agree with the noun.
Yes, especially for states like 'closed' or 'finished'.
Rarely, usually for things or abstract concepts.
Look at the noun it describes.
No, past tense uses the active participle.
Yes, some verbs have unique participle endings.
Scaffolded Practice
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2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Partizip II
German uses 'ge-' prefix, Croatian uses suffixes.
Participe passé
French agreement is more complex with 'avoir'.
Participio
Spanish uses 'ser' + participle.
Passive form (-reru)
Croatian uses a separate participle word.
Ism al-maf'ul
Arabic is root-based, Croatian is suffix-based.
Bei-construction
Chinese has no conjugation.
