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The Passive & Impersonal se

Avoiding the agent

Passive: ser + past participle

The participle agrees with the subject.

📊 Avoiding the agent
Form Example Meaning
passive (ser + por) fue escrito por written by
passive se se venden casas houses are sold
impersonal se se habla español Spanish is spoken
💬 Examples
La carta fue escrita.
The letter was written.
📝 ser + participle (agrees)
Las casas fueron vendidas.
The houses were sold.
📝 Passive + agreement
The agent uses por

'By X' = por X.

💬 Examples
El libro fue escrito por Cervantes.
The book was written by Cervantes.
📝 por = by (agent)
Es amado por todos.
He is loved by everyone.
📝 Agent phrase
se for passive / impersonal (very common)

Spanish prefers this to the true passive.

💬 Examples
Se venden coches.
Cars are sold.
📝 Passive se (verb agrees: venden)
Se vive bien aquí.
One lives well here.
📝 Impersonal se