Just like in English, there is a passive voice in French - le passif, or la voix passive. It's not challenging to grasp if you know some simple rules.
Usage of the Passive Voice
Rule 1: In the active voice, who or what is executing an action is emphasized.
In the passive voice, we emphasize the person or thing that was affected by the action. We also use it when the subject of the sentence is not important or unknown.
(We don't know who ripped the book).
(It's not important who build the cathedral).
Forming the Passive Voice
Rule 2: The passive is formed by using the verb être + the past participle. In the passive, the past participle also agrees in gender and amount with the subject.
The Agent in the Passive Voice
Rule 3: Sometimes the acting person is not mentioned. To mention the source of an action (the agent), the preposition "par" is used.
In the active, the same sentence would look like that:
Passive Voice in Different Tenses
Rule 4: To use the passive in further tenses, the verb être simply has to be conjugated.
Imparfait:
Passé composé:
Futur simple:
Conditionnel présent:
Quiz
1/4Translate: We wouldn't have been invited.