One way to describe something in the passive voice in French is by moving the noun to the beginning of the sentence to emphasize it and using a “to be” verb followed by the adjective or the past participle. For example:
| Le tissu a été fabriqué à partir de matériaux recyclés (par l’usine). | The textile was made from recycled material (by the factory). |
| Le contrat sera signé (par l’entreprise). | The contract will be signed (by the company). |
The performer of the action in the above two examples, denoted by “par …” (by …), can be omitted because it is deemed not to be of great significance.
In some cases, the preposition “de” is used to denote the agent if the agent plays a less active role, for example:
| Le bâtiment est encerclé d’un mur. | The building is surrounded by a wall. |
| Le bâtiment est encerclé par des soldats. | The building is surrounded by soldiers. |
In the two examples above, notice that the agent plays a less active role in the first example. Thus, we use the proposition “de.” On the other hand, we use “par” in the second example to highlight the active role of the agent.
The preposition “de” is commonly used to denote the agent with verbs that express emotion or opinion.
| Il est aimé de tous ses voisins. | He is liked by all his neighbors. |
| Cette idée est appréciée des élèves. | This idea is appreciated by the students. |
Using the Pronoun “On”
It is common to use the third-person singular pronoun “on” to construct the passive voice in French, especially in daily speech.
In this context, the subject pronoun “on” can mean “we,” “one,” or “they,” e.g., “On parle francais ici” (We/They speak French here) means “French is spoken here.”
Passive Reflexive Constructions
Some pronominal verbs are used in a manner similar to reflexive verbs to convey the passive voice.
The following are some examples:
| Ça se voit. | It shows. |
| Ça ne se fait pas. | That is not done (We don’t do that). |
| Ça ne se dit pas. | That is not said (We don’t say that). |
| La porte s’ouvre facilement. | The door is easy to open. |
| Comment ça se répare? | How is this repaired? |
Quiz: Passive Voice
Next: Diminutives & Augmentatives
Other lessons in Level VI: