Passive voice with ser

B2

Grammar path · Lesson 75 of 86 · Stage B2 · Advanced sentences

The passive with ser lets you put the person or thing affected by an action first, and it is common in news, history and formal writing. To build it, conjugate ser in the tense you need and add a past participle that agrees in gender and number with the subject: La casa fue vendida, Los libros fueron vendidos. To say who did it, add por + the doer. The point most often confused with it is the passive se (se venden casas): that one is everyday and never names the doer, while ser + participle sounds more formal and can take por.

Practise this lesson · 9 sentences

Form

Affirmativesujeto + ser + participio + por + agente
El puente fue inaugurado por el presidente.The bridge was inaugurated by the president.
Negativesujeto + no + ser + participio
La carta no fue enviada a tiempo.The letter wasn't sent on time.
Question¿ser + participio + sujeto?
¿Fue aprobada la ley?Was the law passed?

When to use it

Historical facts and news

Used to report events when the thing affected matters more than the doer. Very common in newspapers and history books.

La catedral fue construida en el siglo XVI.The cathedral was built in the 16th century.
Tres personas fueron detenidas anoche en el centro.Three people were arrested last night downtown.

Formal announcements

In official notices, ser often appears in the future to say what will be done. The tone is impersonal and formal.

Los resultados serán publicados el lunes.The results will be published on Monday.
Los participantes serán informados por correo electrónico.The participants will be informed by email.

Naming who did it

To highlight the doer, place them after por at the end of the sentence. This is something the passive se cannot do.

Cien años de soledad fue escrita por García Márquez.One Hundred Years of Solitude was written by García Márquez.
El ladrón fue visto por varios vecinos.The thief was seen by several neighbors.

Ser + past participle (agrees with the subject) + por

presentla casa es construida por…
preteriteel libro fue escrito por Cervantes
futurelas obras serán terminadas en mayo
perfectlos resultados han sido publicados

Signal words

por

Don't confuse it with

Passive se: se venden casas

Choose ser + participle in formal writing or when you need to name the doer with por: La ley fue aprobada por el Congreso. In everyday speech, when the doer does not matter, native speakers usually prefer se: Se aprobó la ley.

Frequently asked questions

Does the participle agree in the ser passive?

Yes. The participle agrees in gender and number with the subject: La puerta fue abierta, Los documentos fueron firmados.

Which word introduces the doer in the passive voice?

Use por + the doer: El libro fue escrito por mi tía. Do not use de or para here.

Why do Spanish speakers rarely use the ser passive in conversation?

Because it sounds formal, like news writing. In speech people usually use an active sentence or the passive se.

Can the ser passive be used in different tenses?

Yes, just conjugate ser: es construido, fue construido, será construido, ha sido construido.

What is the difference between fue cerrada and estaba cerrada?

Fue cerrada reports the action of closing. Estaba cerrada describes the resulting state of being closed.

More in Verb phrases (perífrasis)

Ir a + infinitive (near future)A1Tener que and hay queA1Estar + gerund (present progressive)A2Acabar de, volver a, solerA2Impersonal se: se habla españolB1Passive se: se venden casasB1Llevar and seguir + gerundB1Empezar a, dejar de, ponerse aB1Accidental se: se me olvidóB2Verbs of change: ponerse, volverse, hacerse, quedarseB2Advanced verb phrases: venir a, andar + gerund, llegar aC1
← Grammar pathNext lesson · B2Accidental se: se me olvidó