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This course explains the passive voice in French, the construction that shows what happens to someone or something, as in “La lettre est écrite par Marie.” You will learn how it is formed with être and a past participle agreeing with the subject, how to introduce the agent with “par” or “de,” and how it works across tenses. It also covers why the passive matters, how French compares with other languages, and a full worked example.
What Is the Passive Voice in French?
The passive voice in French is a grammatical structure that shifts the focus from the person doing the action to the person or thing receiving it. Instead of saying who does something, you say what happens to someone or something. It is widely used in written French, formal speech, and everyday conversations.
Simple Examples to Get Started
- Active: Le chat mange la souris. (The cat eats the mouse.)
- Passive: La souris est mangée par le chat. (The mouse is eaten by the cat.)
- Active: Marie écrit la lettre. (Marie writes the letter.)
- Passive: La lettre est écrite par Marie. (The letter is written by Marie.)
As you can see, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. Simple, right?
The Key Elements of the Passive Voice in French
Understanding how the passive voice works in French requires looking at three main components.
1. The Verb ‘être’ + Past Participle
The passive voice is formed using the verb être (to be) conjugated in the appropriate tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. The past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.
| Subject | Être (present) | Past Participle | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le livre (masc. sing.) | est | lu | Le livre est lu. |
| La lettre (fem. sing.) | est | lue | La lettre est lue. |
| Les livres (masc. pl.) | sont | lus | Les livres sont lus. |
| Les lettres (fem. pl.) | sont | lues | Les lettres sont lues. |
2. The Agent: ‘par’ or ‘de’
The person or thing performing the action is called the agent. In French, the agent is usually introduced by the preposition par (by). However, some verbs of feeling or state use de instead.
- La maison a été construite par des architectes. (The house was built by architects.)
- Elle est respectée de tous ses collègues. (She is respected by all her colleagues.)
3. Tenses in the Passive Voice
You can use the passive voice in different tenses. The verb être changes tense, but the past participle stays the same (with agreement).
| Tense | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Present | Le repas est préparé. | The meal is being prepared. |
| Passé composé | Le repas a été préparé. | The meal was prepared. |
| Imparfait | Le repas était préparé. | The meal was (being) prepared. |
| Futur | Le repas sera préparé. | The meal will be prepared. |
Why Does the Passive Voice Matter in French?
Learning the passive voice opens up a whole new level of expression in French. Here is why it matters:
- Formal writing: News articles, official documents, and academic texts use the passive voice very often.
- Unknown agent: When you do not know who did something, the passive voice is perfect. For example: La voiture a été volée. (The car was stolen.)
- Emphasis: You can put the focus on what happened rather than who did it.
- Everyday speech: French speakers use it naturally in conversation too.
Comparison with Other Languages
If you already speak English or Spanish, you may find some similarities and differences helpful.
| Feature | French | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | être + past participle | to be + past participle | ser + past participle |
| Agreement | Yes, with subject | No agreement | Yes, with subject |
| Agent preposition | par / de | by | por / de |
| Example | La lettre est écrite par Paul. | The letter is written by Paul. | La carta es escrita por Paul. |
French and Spanish are quite close here, especially with agreement rules. English is simpler in that regard, but the overall logic is the same.
A Full Example
Let us look at a short paragraph that uses the passive voice in different tenses:
Un nouveau musée a été ouvert dans la ville. Il est visité par des milliers de touristes chaque année. Une exposition spéciale sera organisée par le directeur le mois prochain. Les tableaux sont admirés de tous les visiteurs.
- a été ouvert → passé composé passive (was opened)
- est visité → present passive (is visited)
- sera organisée → future passive (will be organized)
- sont admirés de → present passive with ‘de’ (are admired by)
Key Points to Remember
- The passive voice is formed with être + past participle.
- The past participle always agrees in gender and number with the subject.
- Use par for most agents, and de for feelings or states.
- You can use the passive in any tense by changing être accordingly.
- It is especially common in formal and written French.
- Not all verbs can be used in the passive voice: only transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object).
Sources
- Grévisse, M. & Goosse, A. (2011) : Le Bon Usage. De Boeck Supérieur.
- Riegel, M., Pellat, J.-C. & Rioul, R. (2009) : Grammaire méthodique du français. Presses Universitaires de France.
- Conseil de l’Europe (2001) : Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues. Didier.
To practise what you learned in this lesson: