How to Use Passive Voice in Tamil: A Guide for English Speakers

Understanding Passive Voice in Tamil

In Tamil, the passive voice is used to emphasize the action or the object receiving the action rather than the subject performing it. This is similar to English, but the structure and verb forms differ significantly. Learning how to form passive sentences in Tamil will help you express ideas more naturally and understand native speakers better.

Basic Structure of Passive Voice in Tamil

The passive voice in Tamil is generally formed by using the verb root followed by specific passive suffixes and auxiliary verbs. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject in the passive sentence, and the verb changes accordingly.

For example, the active sentence "Ravi eats the mango" in Tamil is "ரவி மாம்பழம் சாப்பிடுகிறான்" (Ravi maampazham saappidugiraan). The passive form would be "மாம்பழம் ரவியால் சாப்பிடப்படுகிறது" (Maampazham Raviyaal saappidappadugiradhu), meaning "The mango is eaten by Ravi."

Common Passive Suffixes and Auxiliary Verbs

Tamil uses suffixes like -(ப)படு (-(pa)paDu) combined with auxiliary verbs such as கொள்ளு (kollu) or படு (padu) to form passive verbs. The exact form depends on the tense and the verb root.

For example, the verb சாப்பிடு (saappidu - to eat) in passive present tense becomes சாப்பிடப்படுகிறது (saappidappadugiradhu).

Forming Passive Voice in Different Tenses

Here is how passive voice is generally formed in Tamil across tenses:

• Present tense: Verb root + -(ப)படு + auxiliary verb (e.g., சாப்பிடப்படுகிறது)
• Past tense: Verb root + -(ப)படு + past auxiliary verb (e.g., சாப்பிடப்பட்டது)
• Future tense: Verb root + -(ப)படு + future auxiliary verb (e.g., சாப்பிடப்படும்)

Examples of Passive Voice Sentences in Tamil

• அவள் கடிதம் எழுதப்படுகிறது. (Avaḷ kaṭitam ezhudappadugiradhu) - The letter is written by her.
• புத்தகம் மாணவரால் படிக்கப்படுகிறது. (Puththagam maanavaraal padikkappadugiradhu) - The book is read by the student.
• கேக் சமையல் செய்யப்பட்டது. (Cake samayal seyyappadadhu) - The cake was cooked.

Differences Between Active and Passive Voice in Tamil

In active voice, the subject performs the action, and the verb agrees with the subject. In passive voice, the focus shifts to the object, which becomes the subject, and the verb form changes accordingly. The agent (doer) is often introduced by the postposition ஆல் (aal), meaning "by."

Tips for English Speakers Learning Tamil Passive Voice

Since Tamil passive voice uses suffixes and auxiliary verbs unlike English, it is important to practice verb conjugations and recognize the passive markers. Listening to native Tamil speakers and practicing forming sentences will help you become comfortable with passive constructions.