The Spanish Passive Voice: Ser, Estar, and the Se Passive

Spanish has multiple ways to express passive meaning, and choosing between them is one of the trickier aspects of the language. The three main options are:

1. Ser + past participle — the true passive (action by an agent)
2. Estar + past participle — a resulting state
3. Se + verb — the reflexive/impersonal passive (no agent mentioned)

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1. Ser + Past Participle: The True Passive

This construction is the closest equivalent to the English passive (“was written by,” “is sold by”). Use it when you want to mention who performed the action:

• La novela fue escrita por García Márquez. — The novel was written by García Márquez.
• El puente fue construido por ingenieros italianos. — The bridge was built by Italian engineers.
• Las leyes son aprobadas por el parlamento. — The laws are approved by parliament.
• El robo había sido cometido por dos personas. — The robbery had been committed by two people.

Agreement

The past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number:

• El libro fue escrito. (masculine singular)
• La carta fue escrita. (feminine singular)
• Los libros fueron escritos. (masculine plural)
• Las cartas fueron escritas. (feminine plural)

With por (by)

The agent is introduced by por:

• La casa fue diseñada por un arquitecto famoso. — The house was designed by a famous architect.

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2. Estar + Past Participle: Resulting State

Estar + past participle describes a state that results from a previous action — not the action itself:

• La tienda está cerrada. — The shop is closed. (state)
• El ordenador está apagado. — The computer is off.
• La cena está hecha. — Dinner is done.
• Las ventanas están rotas. — The windows are broken.

Ser vs Estar with Participle

Construction	Focus	Example
ser + participle	the action / who did it	La puerta fue cerrada por el guardia.
estar + participle	the resulting state	La puerta está cerrada.

• El castillo fue construido en el siglo XII. — The castle was built in the 12th century. (action, historical fact)
• El castillo está construido sobre una roca. — The castle is built on a rock. (describing its current state)

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3. The Se Passive (Se Pasivo)

When no specific agent is mentioned, Spanish strongly prefers the se passive over the ser passive. This is the most natural-sounding option in everyday Spanish.

Structure: se + verb (3rd person singular or plural)

• Se vende piso. — Flat for sale. (lit. A flat sells itself)
• Se habla español. — Spanish is spoken here.
• Se celebran muchas fiestas en agosto. — Many festivals are held in August.
• Se dice que es muy difícil. — It is said to be very difficult.
• Se necesitan camareros. — Waiters are needed.

The verb agrees with the grammatical subject (the thing being acted upon):

• Se vende una casa. (singular — one house)
• Se venden dos casas. (plural — two houses)

Se impersonal (no subject)

When describing what “one does” or what happens generally, the verb stays singular:

• Se come bien en España. — One eats well in Spain. / The food is good in Spain.
• Se trabaja mucho aquí. — People work a lot here.
• Se puede entrar. — One can enter. / You can go in.

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When to Use Each

Situation	Best choice	Example
Agent is mentioned	ser + participle	Fue escrito por Lorca.
Describing a state	estar + participle	Está escrito en inglés.
No agent, natural speech	se + verb	Se vende aquí.
Formal/written, no agent	ser passive	Fue aprobado en 2020.

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A Note on Register

The ser passive without an agent (La carta fue enviada.) is mostly found in formal or written Spanish — news reports, legal documents, academic writing. In everyday speech, Spanish speakers almost always prefer the se passive or an active construction instead.

English: “The message was received.” Formal Spanish: El mensaje fue recibido. Natural Spanish: Se recibió el mensaje. or Recibieron el mensaje.

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