How to Form and Use the Passive Voice in Romanian for English Speakers

Understanding the Passive Voice in Romanian

The passive voice in Romanian is used to emphasize the action or the object receiving the action rather than the subject performing it. This is similar to English, where sentences like "The book was read by Maria" focus on the book rather than Maria.

Formation of the Passive Voice in Romanian

Romanian forms the passive voice mainly using the verb a fi (to be) combined with the past participle of the main verb. The past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject.

Structure of the Passive Voice

The general structure is:
Subject + form of a fi + past participle
For example:
Cartea este citită de Maria. (The book is read by Maria.)

Conjugation of <em>a fi</em> in Present Tense

Here is the present tense conjugation of a fi used in passive constructions:

• Eu sunt (I am)
• Tu ești (You are)
• El/Ea este (He/She is)
• Noi suntem (We are)
• Voi sunteți (You all are)
• Ei/Ele sunt (They are)

Past Participle Agreement

The past participle changes according to the gender and number of the subject:

• Masculine singular: -t or -ut (e.g., citit)
• Feminine singular: add -ă (e.g., citită)
• Masculine plural: add -i (e.g., citiți)
• Feminine plural: add -e (e.g., citite)

Examples of Passive Voice in Romanian

Here are some examples showing the passive voice in different tenses:

• Prezent: Cartea este citită de elev. (The book is read by the student.)
• Perfect Compus: Cartea a fost citită de elev. (The book was read by the student.)
• Imperfect: Cartea era citită de elev. (The book was being read by the student.)

Usage of the Passive Voice in Romanian

The passive voice is often used in formal writing, news reports, and when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant. It helps to focus on the action or the object rather than the subject.

Passive Voice with <em>se</em> Construction

Romanian also uses the se construction to express passive meaning, especially in spoken language. This is called the "impersonal passive." For example:
Se vând mere. (Apples are sold.)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

English speakers often forget to make the past participle agree in gender and number with the subject. Remember that in Romanian, this agreement is mandatory in the passive voice.