Trapassato prossimo
Lesson forty-seven
More
Lesson forty-six
The passive voice is a way of writing sentences where the thing receiving the action comes first, before the person or thing doing the action. It is used when we want to focus on what happens rather than who does it. It is also helpful when we don’t know, or don’t need to say, who does the action.
In an active sentence, the subject (the person or thing doing the action) comes first. In a passive sentence, the focus moves to the object (the person or thing receiving the action).
The boy eats the apple.
Active voice example.
The apple is eaten by the boy.
Passive voice example.
In Italian, the passive voice is formed using essere (to be) plus the past participle of the verb. The agent, or the performer of the action, is introduced with da (by). This is the standard way to create a passive sentence in most tenses.
Il ragazzo mangia la mela.
The boy eats the apple.
La mela è mangiata dal ragazzo.
The apple is eaten by the boy.
Mia nonna prepara la cena.
My grandmother prepares dinner.
La cena è preparata da mia nonna.
Dinner is prepared by my grandmother.
Lei ha invitato Paolo alla festa.
She invited Paolo to the party.
Paolo è stato invitato alla festa.
Paolo has been invited to the party.
In Italian, the past participle must agree with the subject in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural). This rule is essential for proper grammar in the passive voice.
Il bambino è punito dai genitori.
The boy is punished by the parents.
La bambina è punita dai genitori.
The girl is punished by the parents.
I bambini sono puniti dai genitori.
The children are punished by the parents.
Just like in English, the passive voice in Italian can be used in different tenses to indicate when an action occurs.
La mela è stata mangiata dal ragazzo.
The apple has been eaten by the boy.
L'attore è stato premiato per aver recitato bene.
The actor has been awarded for his good performance.
La mela era mangiata dal ragazzo.
The apple was being eaten by the boy.
La mela sarà mangiata dal ragazzo.
The apple will be eaten by the boy.
La cena sarà servita alle nove.
Dinner will be served at nine.
In formal or written Italian, venire (to come) can replace essere in passive constructions, particularly in present and future tenses. This adds a slightly more formal tone to the sentence.
La colazione viene servita alle sette.
Breakfast is served at seven.
L'eredità verrà spartita tra i figli.
The inheritance will be divided among the children.
Note: Venire is not used in compound past tenses like passato prossimo.
The verb andare (to go) is sometimes used in passive constructions to express necessity or obligation, similar to saying must be in English.
Il lavoro va finito entro domani.
The work must be finished by tomorrow.
Le regole vanno rispettate.
The rules must be followed.
The passive voice is a versatile tool in both English and Italian, allowing writers and speakers to emphasize the recipient of an action rather than the doer. In Italian, it is primarily formed with essere + past participle, with the agent introduced by da. Gender and number agreement is essential, and the passive can be used in multiple tenses. Additionally, venire can be used for formal constructions, and andare expresses obligation. Mastering the passive voice enriches your ability to communicate with nuance and flexibility.
Trapassato prossimo
Lesson forty-seven
Passato remoto
Lesson forty-eight
Alphabet
Lesson one
Hello
Lesson two
Goodbye
Lesson three
How are you
Lesson four
