Passive voice is a grammatical construction that allows us to emphasize the action being done to the subject instead of the subject performing the action. In Portuguese, passive sentences are formed by using the verb “ser” (to be) in combination with the past participle of the main verb. This construction highlights the receiver of the action rather than the doer. In this comprehensive explanation, we will explore the formation of passive sentences in Portuguese, discuss their usage, and provide example sentences to illustrate their application.
Formation of Passive Sentences in Portuguese:
Verb “ser” (to be):
The first element required to form a passive sentence in Portuguese is the verb “ser” (to be). It is conjugated according to the subject and tense of the sentence. Here are the conjugations of “ser” in the present tense:
Eu sou (I am)
Tu és (You are)
Ele/Ela/Você é (He/She/You(formal) is)
Nós somos (We are)
Vós sois (You all are)
Eles/Elas/Vocês são (They/You all are)
Past participle:
The second element needed in the formation of passive sentences is the past participle of the main verb. The past participle is the form of the verb used in compound tenses. It usually ends in -ado for regular -ar verbs and -ido for regular -er/-ir verbs. However, irregular verbs can have different forms.
Usage of Passive Sentences in Portuguese:
Emphasis on the receiver of the action:
Passive sentences are commonly used when the speaker wants to highlight the receiver of the action rather than the doer. It shifts the focus from who is performing the action to who is being affected by it. This can be useful when the doer is unknown, irrelevant, or less important in the context.
Example: A casa foi vendida. (The house was sold.)
In this sentence, the emphasis is on the fact that the house was sold, without mentioning who sold it. The receiver of the action (the house) becomes the subject of the sentence.
Vague or general statements:
Passive voice is often used in Portuguese to express general statements or ideas without specifying the doer. This is particularly common in formal or scientific writing.
Example: Os problemas foram resolvidos. (The problems were solved.)
This sentence conveys that the problems were solved without mentioning who solved them. It focuses on the result rather than the action itself.
Politeness or tactfulness:
Using the passive voice can be a way to express politeness or tactfulness by avoiding explicitly stating who performed the action.
Example: Foi decidido que o projeto será adiado. (It was decided that the project will be postponed.)
In this sentence, the decision was made, but the doer of the action is not mentioned. It maintains a neutral tone and avoids attributing the decision to a specific person or group.
Avoiding personal responsibility:
The passive voice can be used to evade or downplay personal responsibility for an action. By not mentioning the doer, the speaker can distance themselves from the action.
Example: Os documentos foram extraviados. (The documents were misplaced.)
Here, the passive construction suggests that the documents got misplaced without specifying who misplaced them. This avoids assigning blame or responsibility.
Example Sentences:
A carta foi escrita pelo professor. (The letter was written by the professor.)
Os ingressos serão vendidos online. (The tickets will be sold online.)
O livro foi publicado no ano passado. (The book was published last year.)
As regras foram estabelecidas para garantir a segurança. (The rules were established to ensure safety.)
Os segredos foram revelados. (The secrets were revealed.)
Os alimentos foram preparados com carinho. (The food was prepared with care.)
O carro foi consertado pelo mecânico. (The car was fixed by the mechanic.)
Conclusion:
Passive sentences in Portuguese are formed by using the verb “ser” with the past participle of the main verb. They are used to shift the focus from the doer to the receiver of the action, express general statements, convey politeness or tactfulness, and avoid personal responsibility. By understanding the formation and usage of passive sentences, beginners in Portuguese can enhance their language skills and express themselves more effectively. Practice with example sentences to become more familiar with this grammatical construction and improve your overall proficiency in Portuguese.
Quick quiz
Exercise 1:
Choose the correct passive sentence construction for the given sentence:
“The cake __ by my sister.”
a) foi cozido (was cooked)
b) foram cozidos (were cooked)
c) foi cozida (was cooked)
d) foram cozidas (were cooked)
Answer: c) foi cozida (was cooked)
Explanation: In this sentence, “The cake” is the subject, and we are referring to a singular noun. Therefore, the verb “ser” should be conjugated in the singular form. Additionally, since “cake” is a masculine noun, the past participle “cozida” should agree in gender and number, agreeing with the subject “bolo” (cake).
Example sentence: O bolo foi cozido pela minha irmã. (The cake was cooked by my sister.)
Exercise 2:
Choose the correct passive sentence construction for the given sentence:
“The concert tickets __ within minutes.”
a) venderam (were sold)
b) vendeu (was sold)
c) vendidos (were sold)
d) vendido (was sold)
Answer: c) vendidos (were sold)
Explanation: In this sentence, “concert tickets” is the subject, and we are referring to plural tickets. Therefore, the verb “ser” should be conjugated in the plural form. Additionally, the past participle “vendidos” agrees in gender and number with the subject “ingressos” (tickets).
Example sentence: Os ingressos foram vendidos em minutos. (The concert tickets were sold within minutes.)
Exercise 3:
Choose the correct passive sentence construction for the given sentence:
“The new product __ yesterday.”
a) lançado (was launched)
b) lançou (launched)
c) lançaram (launched)
d) lançados (were launched)
Answer: a) lançado (was launched)
Explanation: In this sentence, “new product” is the subject, and we are referring to a singular noun. Therefore, the verb “ser” should be conjugated in the singular form. The past participle “lançado” agrees in gender and number with the subject “produto” (product).
Example sentence: O novo produto foi lançado ontem. (The new product was launched yesterday.)
Exercise 4:
Choose the correct passive sentence construction for the given sentence:
“The mistakes __ during the editing process.”
a) corrigiu (were corrected)
b) corrigiram (were corrected)
c) corrigido (was corrected)
d) corrigidos (were corrected)
Answer: d) corrigidos (were corrected)
Explanation: In this sentence, “mistakes” is the subject, and we are referring to plural mistakes. Therefore, the verb “ser” should be conjugated in the plural form. The past participle “corrigidos” agrees in gender and number with the subject “erros” (mistakes).
Example sentence: Os erros foram corrigidos durante o processo de edição. (The mistakes were corrected during the editing process.)
Exercise 5:
Choose the correct passive sentence construction for the given sentence:
“The letter __ by my friend.”
a) foi escrita (was written)
b) foram escritos (were written)
c) escreveu (wrote)
d) escreveram (wrote)
Answer: a) foi escrita (was written)
Explanation: In this sentence, “the letter” is the subject, and we are referring to a singular noun. Therefore, the verb “ser” should be conjugated in the singular form. The past participle “escrita” agrees in gender and number with the subject “carta” (letter).
Example sentence: A carta foi escrita pelo meu amigo. (The letter was written by my friend.)
Exercise 6:
Choose the correct passive sentence construction for the given sentence:
“The decision __ last night.”
a) foi tomado (was made)
b) foram tomados (were made)
c) tomou (made)
d) tomaram (made)
Answer: a) foi tomada (was made)
Explanation: In this sentence, “the decision” is the subject, and we are referring to a singular noun. Therefore, the verb “ser” should be conjugated in the singular form. The past participle “tomada” agrees in gender and number with the subject “decisão” (decision).
Example sentence: A decisão foi tomada ontem à noite. (The decision was made last night.)
Exercise 7:
Choose the correct passive sentence construction for the given sentence:
“The movie __ by a famous director.”
a) dirigiram (was directed)
b) dirigiu (directed)
c) dirigida (was directed)
d) dirigidas (were directed)
Answer: c) dirigida (was directed)
Explanation: In this sentence, “the movie” is the subject, and we are referring to a singular noun. Therefore, the verb “ser” should be conjugated in the singular form. The past participle “dirigida” agrees in gender and number with the subject “filme” (movie).
Example sentence: O filme foi dirigido por um diretor famoso. (The movie was directed by a famous director.)
Exercise 8:
Choose the correct passive sentence construction for the given sentence:
“The report __ to the authorities.”
a) entregaram (was handed)
b) entregou (handed)
c) entregou (was handed)
d) entregados (were handed)
Answer: c) entregue (was handed)
Explanation: In this sentence, “the report” is the subject, and we are referring to a singular noun. Therefore, the verb “ser” should be conjugated in the singular form. The past participle “entregue” agrees in gender and number with the subject “relatório” (report).
Example sentence: O relatório foi entregue às autoridades. (The report was handed to the authorities.)
Exercise 9:
Choose the correct passive sentence construction for the given sentence:
“The documents __ in the filing cabinet.”
a) perderam (were lost)
b) perdeu (lost)
c) perdidos (were lost)
d) perdido (lost)
Answer: c) foram perdidos (were lost)
Explanation: In this sentence, “the documents” is the subject, and we are referring to plural documents. Therefore, the verb “ser” should be conjugated in the plural form. The past participle “perdidos” agrees in gender and number with the subject “documentos” (documents).
Example sentence: Os documentos foram perdidos na gaveta de arquivos. (The documents were lost in the filing cabinet.)
Exercise 10:
Choose the correct passive sentence construction for the given sentence:
“The song __ by a famous singer.”
a) cantaram (was sung)
b) cantou (sung)
c) cantado (was sung)
d) cantados (were sung)
Answer: c) foi cantada (was sung)
Explanation: In this sentence, “the song” is the subject, and we are referring to a singular noun. Therefore, the verb “ser” should be conjugated in the singular form. The past participle “cantada” agrees in gender and number with the subject “música” (song).
Example sentence: A música foi cantada por um cantor famoso. (The song was sung by a famous singer.)
In each exercise, the correct answer is determined by considering the subject of the sentence (whether it is singular or plural) and matching the conjugation of the verb “ser” and the agreement of the past participle with the subject. These elements must agree in gender and number to form a correct passive sentence in Portuguese.
Originally posted 2023-07-19 03:51:50.