The passive voice is a way to indicate that the subject of the sentence is acted upon, rather than doing the action. In French, the passive voice is formed by using a form of the verb être (to be) followed by the past participle of the main verb. The past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.
Formation Rules
- Use the correct form of être in the required tense.
- Follow être with the past participle of the main verb.
- Ensure the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject.
- Use par (by) to indicate the agent performing the action, if needed.
What must the past participle do in a passive sentence?
Agree in gender and number with the subject.
The past participle in a passive sentence must agree in gender and number with the subject, e.g., écrite (feminine singular), signés (masculine plural).
Examples
Present Tense
| French Passive | English Passive |
|---|---|
| La lettre est écrite par Marie. | The letter is written by Marie. |
| Les documents sont signés par le directeur. | The documents are signed by the director. |
Passé Composé
| French Passive | English Passive |
|---|---|
| La maison a été vendue la semaine dernière. | The house was sold last week. |
| Les invitations ont été envoyées hier. | The invitations were sent yesterday. |
Imparfait
| French Passive | English Passive |
|---|---|
| Le projet était discuté par l’équipe. | The project was being discussed by the team. |
| Le gâteau était préparé avec soin. | The cake was being prepared with care. |
Futur Simple
| French Passive | English Passive |
|---|---|
| Le rapport sera terminé demain. | The report will be finished tomorrow. |
| Les résultats seront publiés bientôt. | The results will be published soon. |
Plus-que-parfait
| French Passive | English Passive |
|---|---|
| La décision avait été prise avant la réunion. | The decision had been made before the meeting. |
| Les travaux avaient été achevés à temps. | The work had been completed on time. |
Les documents sont signés par le directeur.
The documents are signed by the director.
Les documents sont signés par le directeur means "The documents are signed by the director," showing passive voice in the present tense.
Flashcards (1 of 10)
- English Passive: The letter is written by Marie.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
