Italian 6.6. Passive Voice & Impersonal “Si”

In this lesson, we discuss the passive voice in Italian using a “to be” verb followed by the adjective or the past participle, and using the impersonal “si.”

One way to describe something in the passive voice in Italian is by moving the noun acted upon 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:

Il tessuto è stato realizzato con materiale riciclato (dalla fabbrica).	The textile was made from recycled material (by the factory).
Il contratto sarà firmato (dalla società).	The contract will be signed (by the company).

The performer of the action in the above two examples, denoted by “da …” (by …), can be omitted because it is deemed not to be of great significance.

Impersonal “Si”

Another way to construct the passive voice in Italian is by using the impersonal “si.” Expressions such as “si dice” (it is said), “si sa” (it is known), and “si pensa” (it is thought) are some common examples of the impersonal “si.”

An impersonal “si” construction uses one of the following formulas:

1. “Si” + third-person transitive[1] verb (sing. or plural) + noun (sing. or plural) 2. “Si” + third-person intransitive[2] verb (singular) 3. “Si” + third-person copular[3] verb (singular) + adjective (plural)

#1: Impersonal “Si” with Transitive Verbs (Passive “Si”)

This type of impersonal “si” is also called the passive “si” because it replaces the standard passive voice in Italian that we discussed previously. This is the passive construction that you are likely to encounter in ads and commercials, or when the performer of the action is unknown or not as important. For example:

Si ricercano persone con esperienza.	Wanted: people with experience.
In Egitto, si parla l’arabo.	In Egypt, they speak Arabic.
Qui si vendono i cellulari.	Cell phones are sold here.
Al mattino si consuma la colazione.	In the morning, one eats breakfast.
Non si sa mai tutta la verità.	You never know the whole truth.

Notice that when we use a transitive verb to construct a passive “si” phrase, the verb can be in the singular or plural third-person form depending on the following noun (the object in the active voice construction).

Sometimes there are two verbs, like in the case of modal verbs, e.g., “dovere,” “potere,” etc., or compound tenses that use an auxiliary, e.g., the present perfect tense.

In this case, only the first verb is conjugated following the noun in gender and number, whereas the second verb is in the infinitive. For example:

Si può praticare la lingua per diventare fluenti.	One can practice the language to become fluent.
Si devono seguire le regole della strada per evitare le multe.	One must follow the traffic rules to avoid tickets.
Si è mangiato questo solo in Italia.	One ate this only in Italy.

Notice that we always use the verb “essere” with impersonal “si” in compound tenses even if the verb is normally conjugated with “avere.”

#2: Impersonal “Si” with Intransitive Verbs

In English, we sometimes make general statements or observations such as:

We work better as a team.

They sleep early in the village.

One does not travel far alone.           

Notice that in these sentences, we used the subject pronouns “we,” “they,” and “one” to convey a general meaning.

Furthermore, notice that the verbs “to work,” “to sleep,” and “to travel” are intransitive, meaning that they do not need an object for the meaning to be complete.

In Italian, we can express such observations or statements using the impersonal “si” followed by the singular third-person conjugation of the verb.

The previous examples in English translate as follows:

We work better as a team.	Si lavora meglio in una squadra.
They sleep early in the village.	Si dorme presto al villaggio.
One does not travel far alone.	Non si viaggia lontano da soli.

As you can see, the verb is always singular regardless of any implicit assumptions about the subject, which is grammatically absent.

“Si” + third-person intransitive verb (always singular)

If there is another pronoun, e.g., a reflexive or object pronoun, in addition to the impersonal “si,” the other pronoun must come before the impersonal “si,” regardless of whether the verb is transitive or intransitive. For example:

Mi si deve prendere sul serio.

One must take me seriously.

If the reflexive pronoun is also “si,” the reflexive pronoun is changed to “ci” and placed before the impersonal “si.” For example:

Ci si diverte in vacanza.	People[4] have fun on vacation.
Ci si prepara per gli esami.	One prepares for the exams.

Some verbs can be transitive in some contexts and intransitive in others if the object is absent. For example, the verb “change” in “Technology has changed the world” is transitive and “the world” is the object. However, the verb “change” in “He changed a lot recently” is intransitive because there is no object.

Let us take an example in Italian:

Si mangia bene in Italia.	One eats well in Italy.
Si mangiano frutti di mare deliziosi in Italia.	One eats delicious seafood in Italy.

In the first example, the verb “mangiare” (to eat) is intransitive; thus, it is always in singular form. In the second example, the verb is transitive; thus, it is in plural form following the plural noun “frutti di mare” (seafood).

#3: Impersonal “Si” with Copular Verbs

A copular verb connects a subject to an adjective, adverb, noun, or phrase. The most common example is the verb “to be.” Other examples of copular verbs in English include: seem, feel, appear, look, become, taste, get, sound, turn, grow, and find. For example, in the sentence “The weather seems nice” or “The grass turned green,” the verbs “seem” and “turn” do not make sense on their own because they do not complete the meaning. They simply link the subject to the adjective in each sentence. In Italian, there are such similar verbs like “essere” (to be), “sembrare” (to seem), “sentirsi” (to feel), “diventare” (to become), etc.

If a copular verb falls between the impersonal “si” and an adjective, the adjective must be in plural form. For example:

Si è stanchi dopo l’allenamento.	One is tired after working out.
Si è felici per il successo di un amico.	One is happy for a friend’s success.
Si sembra gioiosi sulla spiaggia.	It seems joyful on the beach.
Ci si sente strani senza vita sociale.	It feels strange without a social life.

Notice that the adjective in each of the examples above is in plural form. This also applies to the past participles treated like adjectives including those of verbs that are normally conjugated with “essere.” For example:

Si è morti molto tempo prima dell’invenzione di Internet.	One died long ago before the invention of the internet.
A che ora si è partiti per arrivare in tempo?	At what time has one left to arrive in time?

Notice that the past participles “morti” and “partiti” are treated like adjectives and are in plural form, because the verbs “morire” (to die) and “partire” (to leave) are normally conjugated with the auxiliary “essere.”

Next: Idiomatic Pronominal Verbs

Back to: Italian Lessons

Other lessons in Level VI: