Rules and usage
The passive voice in French is used to shift focus from the doer of an action to the action itself and its recipient. Instead of saying who performs the action, you emphasize what happens. This construction is called voix passive and uses the auxiliary verb être plus the past participle of the main verb.
When the passive voice is used
- The passive voice is appropriate when the agent (the person doing the action) is unknown, unimportant, or already clear from context. It is also used in formal writing, scientific texts, and news reporting. In everyday speech, French speakers use it much less frequently than English speakers do. The passive voice focuses attention on the object of the action rather than the subject.
- Use it when you want to emphasize the action or its result rather than who performs it.
- Use it in formal or written contexts.
- Avoid overusing it in spoken French, as native speakers often prefer active constructions.
✅ Positive sentence examples
| French | English |
|---|
| La lettre est écrite par ma mère. | The letter is being written by my mother. |
| Le rapport a été complété par l'équipe. | The report was completed by the team. |
⛔ Negative sentence examples
| French | English |
|---|
| La lettre n'est pas écrite par ma mère. | The letter is not being written by my mother. |
| Le rapport n'a pas été complété par l'équipe. | The report was not completed by the team. |
❓ Question sentence examples
| French | English |
|---|
| La lettre est-elle écrite par ma mère? | Is the letter being written by my mother? |
| Le rapport a-t-il été complété par l'équipe? | Was the report completed by the team? |