Language/Catalan/Grammar/Passive-voice

Catalan → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Passive voice

In this lesson, we will explore an essential aspect of Catalan grammar: the passive voice. Understanding the passive voice is crucial for effective communication in any language, and Catalan is no exception. While the active voice emphasizes the subject performing the action, the passive voice shifts the focus to the action itself and the recipient of that action. This can add variety and nuance to your language skills, allowing you to convey information in different ways.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to recognize and form the passive voice in Catalan. We will cover the following topics:

• Definition and importance of the passive voice

• Structure of the passive voice

• Examples illustrating the passive voice

• Exercises to practice what you've learned

Let's dive into the world of the passive voice and see how it works in Catalan!

What is the Passive Voice?

The passive voice is a grammatical construction where the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than performing it. This is different from the active voice, where the subject is the doer of the action.

For example, in English:

• Active Voice: The chef cooks the meal.

• Passive Voice: The meal is cooked by the chef.

In the passive voice, the focus shifts from the chef to the meal, which can be helpful in various contexts, especially when the doer is unknown or irrelevant.

Importance of the Passive Voice in Catalan

Using the passive voice in Catalan can:

• Emphasize the action or the recipient instead of the doer.

• Make sentences sound more formal or objective.

• Allow you to omit the doer if it's not known or not important.

Structure of the Passive Voice in Catalan

In Catalan, the passive voice is formed using the verb "ser" (to be) along with the past participle of the main verb. The sentence structure generally follows this pattern:

• Subject + Verb "ser" (in the correct tense) + Past Participle + (by + Agent)

For example:

• Active: El professor corregeix els exàmens. (The teacher corrects the exams.)

• Passive: Els exàmens són corregits pel professor. (The exams are corrected by the teacher.)

== Formation of the Past Participle

The past participle in Catalan typically follows these patterns:

• For regular -ar verbs: drop “-ar” and add “-at.”

• For regular -er verbs: drop “-er” and add “-ut.”

• For regular -ir verbs: drop “-ir” and add “-it.”

Here are some examples in a table format:

Catalan	Pronunciation	English
parlar (to speak)	parˈlar	parlat (spoken)
menjar (to eat)	menˈdʒar	menjat (eaten)
viure (to live)	ˈvju.ɾə	viscut (lived)
fer (to do/make)	feɾ	fet (done/made)

Examples of the Passive Voice

Here are twenty examples of sentences in both the active and passive voice to illustrate their differences:

Catalan (Active)	Pronunciation	English (Active)	Catalan (Passive)	Pronunciation	English (Passive)
Jo llegeixo el llibre.	ʒu leˈʒeʃu ɛl ˈʎiβɾə	I read the book.	El llibre és llegit per mi.	ɛl ˈʎiβɾə ɛs leˈʒit pɛɾ mi	The book is read by me.
Ell pinta el quadre.	eʎ ˈpintə ɛl ˈkwadɾə	He paints the picture.	El quadre és pintat per ell.	ɛl ˈkwadɾə ɛs pinˈtat pɛɾ eʎ	The picture is painted by him.
Nosaltres fem el pastís.	nuˈzal.tɾəs fɛm ɛl pəsˈtis	We make the cake.	El pastís és fet per nosaltres.	ɛl pəsˈtis ɛs fet pɛɾ nuˈzal.tɾəs	The cake is made by us.
Ells escriuen la carta.	eʎs esˈkɾiwən lə ˈkaɾtə	They write the letter.	La carta és escrita per ells.	lə ˈkaɾtə ɛs esˈkɾi.tə pɛɾ eʎs	The letter is written by them.
La Maria compra el cotxe.	lə məˈɾi.ə ˈkʊm.pɾə ɛl ˈkɔtʃə	Maria buys the car.	El cotxe és comprat per la Maria.	ɛl ˈkɔtʃə ɛs kəmˈpɾat pɛɾ lə məˈɾi.ə	The car is bought by Maria.
El professor ensenya matemàtiques.	ɛl pɾufɛˈsoɾ ənˈseɲə mətəməˈtɪkɛs	The teacher teaches mathematics.	Les matemàtiques són ensenyades pel professor.	lɛs mətəməˈtɪkɛs son ənseˈɲa.dəs pɛl pɾufɛˈsoɾ	Mathematics are taught by the teacher.
Ells fan el treball.	eʎs fæn ɛl tɾəˈβaʎ	They do the work.	El treball és fet per ells.	ɛl tɾəˈβaʎ ɛs fet pɛɾ eʎs	The work is done by them.
La noia canta la cançó.	lə ˈnɔi.ə ˈkan.tə lə kənˈsɔ	The girl sings the song.	La cançó és cantada per la noia.	lə kənˈsɔ ɛs kanˈta.də pɛɾ lə ˈnɔi.ə	The song is sung by the girl.
El gos menja la carn.	ɛl ɡɔs ˈmɛn.dʒə lə kaɾn	The dog eats the meat.	La carn és menja per el gos.	lə kaɾn ɛs ˈmɛn.dʒə pɛɾ ɛl ɡɔs	The meat is eaten by the dog.
Ells construeixen la casa.	eʎs kunsˈtɾu.ɛʃən lə ˈka.zə	They build the house.	La casa és construïda per ells.	lə ˈka.zə ɛs kuns.tɾuˈi.ðə pɛɾ eʎs	The house is built by them.
El cuiner prepara el sopar.	ɛl kwiˈneɾ pɾəˈpaɾə ɛl suˈpaɾ	The cook prepares dinner.	El sopar és preparat pel cuiner.	ɛl suˈpaɾ ɛs pɾepəˈɾat pɛl kwiˈneɾ	Dinner is prepared by the cook.
La família celebra el naixement.	lə fəˈmil.jə səˈlɛ.βɾə ɛl nəjʊˈment	The family celebrates the birth.	El naixement és celebrat per la família.	ɛl nəjʊˈment ɛs sə.leˈβɾat pɛɾ lə fəˈmil.jə	The birth is celebrated by the family.
Ells juguen a futbol.	eʎs ˈʒu.ɡən ə ˈfut.βol	They play football.	El futbol és jugat per ells.	ɛl ˈfut.βol ɛs ˈʒu.ɡat pɛɾ eʎs	Football is played by them.
El mecànic repara el cotxe.	ɛl mɛˈka.nik rɛˈpaɾə ɛl ˈkɔtʃə	The mechanic repairs the car.	El cotxe és reparat pel mecànic.	ɛl ˈkɔtʃə ɛs rɛpaˈɾat pɛl mɛˈka.nik	The car is repaired by the mechanic.
El llibre explica la història.	ɛl ˈʎiβɾə ɛkˈspli.kə lə isˈto.ɾi.ə	The book explains the story.	La història és explicada pel llibre.	lə isˈto.ɾi.ə ɛs ekspliˈka.ðə pɛl ˈʎiβɾə	The story is explained by the book.
El director fa la pel·lícula.	ɛl diɾɛkˈtoɾ fə lə pəˈli.ku.lə	The director makes the film.	La pel·lícula és feta pel director.	lə pəˈli.ku.lə ɛs ˈfɛt ə pɛl diɾɛkˈtoɾ	The film is made by the director.
La mare cuina el dinar.	lə ˈma.ɾə ˈkwi.nə ɛl diˈnaɾ	The mother cooks lunch.	El dinar és cuinat per la mare.	ɛl diˈnaɾ ɛs kwiˈnat pɛɾ lə ˈma.ɾə	Lunch is cooked by the mother.
Ells es preparen per a l’examen.	eʎs ɛs pɾəˈpa.ɾən pɛɾ ə lɛɡˈza.mɛn	They prepare for the exam.	L’examen és preparat per ells.	lɛɡˈza.mɛn ɛs pɾeˈpaɾat pɛɾ eʎs	The exam is prepared by them.
El professor ensenya la gramàtica.	ɛl pɾofɛˈsoɾ ɛnˈseɲə lə ɡɾəˈma.ti.kə	The teacher teaches the grammar.	La gramàtica és ensenyada pel professor.	lə ɡɾəˈma.ti.kə ɛs ɛnseˈɲa.ðə pɛɾ ɛl pɾofɛˈsoɾ	The grammar is taught by the teacher.
Ells planto arbres.	eʎs ˈplantə ˈaɾbɾəs	They plant trees.	Els arbres són plantats per ells.	ɛls ˈaɾbɾəs son plənˈtat pɛɾ eʎs	The trees are planted by them.

Exercises to Practice the Passive Voice

Now it's time to apply what you've learned! Below are ten exercises designed to help you practice forming the passive voice in Catalan.

Exercise 1: Identify the Passive Voice

Read the following sentences and identify if they are in the passive voice. Write "yes" or "no."

1. El llibre és llegit per mi.

2. Ell corre ràpidament.

3. Els exàmens són corregits pel professor.

4. Ells fan el treball.

Exercise 2: Transform to Passive Voice

Transform the following active sentences into the passive voice.

1. La Maria compra els llibres.

2. El professor ensenya la classe.

3. Ells fan el sopar.

4. Nosaltres llegim el poema.

Exercise 3: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the following sentences in passive voice using the correct form of “ser” and the past participle.

1. Els arbres _____ (plantar) per nosaltres.

2. La carta _____ (escriure) pel meu amic.

3. El dinar _____ (preparar) per la mare.

4. Les matemàtiques _____ (ensenyar) a l'escola.

Exercise 4: Translate to Catalan

Translate the following active sentences into Catalan using the passive voice.

1. The car is repaired by the mechanic.

2. The book is read by the children.

3. The cake is made by my mother.

4. The song is sung by the choir.

Exercise 5: Rewrite in Passive Voice

Rewrite the following sentences in passive voice.

1. El cuiner prepara el sopar.

2. La Maria pinta el quadre.

3. Ells construeixen el nou edifici.

4. El director fa la pel·lícula.

Exercise 6: Choose the Correct Form

Choose the correct form of the verb "ser" in the passive voice.

1. La carta ___ (és/son) escrita per ell.

2. Els llibres ___ (són/és) llegits per les nenes.

3. El cotxe ___ (són/és) reparat pel mecànic.

4. Les cases ___ (són/és) construïdes pel constructor.

Exercise 7: Match the Sentences

Match the active sentences on the left with their passive counterparts on the right.

1. La noia canta la cançó.

2. El professor ensenya la gramàtica.

3. Ells compren el cotxe.

4. La família celebra el aniversari.

A. La cançó és cantada per la noia.

B. La gramàtica és ensenyada pel professor.

C. El cotxe és comprat per ells.

D. L'aniversari és celebrat per la família.

Exercise 8: Error Correction

Identify and correct the errors in the following passive sentences.

1. La casa és pintat per la Maria.

2. Els llibres són llegit pels nens.

3. El menjar és preparades per la cuinera.

4. Els exàmens són corregides pel professor.

Exercise 9: Create Your Own Sentences

Create four sentences in the passive voice about activities you enjoy. Write them in Catalan.

1. ____________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________

Exercise 10: Discussion

In pairs, discuss the following question using the passive voice:

• How is Catalan culture celebrated in your country?

Solutions to Exercises

Here are the solutions to the exercises:

Exercise 1:

1. Yes

2. No

3. Yes

4. No

Exercise 2:

1. Els llibres són comprats per la Maria.

2. La classe és ensenyada pel professor.

3. El sopar és fet per ells.

4. El poema és llegit per nosaltres.

Exercise 3:

1. Els arbres són plantats per nosaltres.

2. La carta és escrita pel meu amic.

3. El dinar és preparat per la mare.

4. Les matemàtiques són ensenyades a l'escola.

Exercise 4:

1. El cotxe és reparat pel mecànic.

2. El llibre és llegit pels nens.

3. El pastís és fet per la meva mare.

4. La cançó és cantada pel cor.

Exercise 5:

1. El sopar és preparat pel cuiner.

2. El quadre és pintat per la Maria.

3. El nou edifici és construït per ells.

4. La pel·lícula és feta pel director.

Exercise 6:

1. La carta és escrita per ell.

2. Els llibres són llegits per les nenes.

3. El cotxe és reparat pel mecànic.

4. Les cases són construïdes pel constructor.

Exercise 7:

1 - A

2 - B

3 - C

4 - D

Exercise 8:

1. La casa és pintada per la Maria.

2. Els llibres són llegits pels nens.

3. El menjar és preparat per la cuinera.

4. Els exàmens són corregits pel professor.

Exercise 9:

(Students' answers will vary.)

Exercise 10:

(Students' discussions will vary.)

In this lesson, we have explored the passive voice in Catalan, delving into its structure, importance, and practical applications. By understanding how to form and use the passive voice, you can enhance your Catalan communication skills and express yourself more effectively. Keep practicing, and you'll find that using the passive voice becomes second nature!

Table of Contents - Catalan Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Catalan

• Alphabet and Pronunciation
• Basic Sentence Structure

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Common Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Articles and Nouns

• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Noun Gender and Plurals

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Adjectives and Pronouns

• Adjective Agreement
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs

  ---

Food and Dining

• Food Vocabulary
• At the Restaurant

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Coordinating Conjunctions

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Phrases

  ---

Catalan Culture

• History and Geography
• Traditions and Celebrations

Sources

• Catalan grammar - Wikipedia
• Catalan: Passive Voice
• Catalan UD

Other Lessons

• Plural
• Present Continuous in Catalan
• How to Use Be
• Instrumental Case in Catalan
• Negation
• Introduction to pronouns
• Verb to be with names and places
• Personal pronouns
• 0 to A1 Course
• Adjectives