Mastering Spanish Passive Voice: ser + participio vs la pasiva con se

Have you seen signs like “Se vende” or headlines like “La ley fue aprobada”? Both are passive, but they work differently. Today you’ll learn how to use the Spanish passive voice with ser + participio and the super common se pasiva. We’ll compare forms, highlight register differences (formal vs everyday), and practice with real-life examples.

Active vs Passive: What’s happening to the subject?

In the active voice, the subject does the action. In the passive, the subject receives the action. Spanish has two main passive strategies:

  • La pasiva con “ser + participio” (often with an agent: por + alguien)
  • La pasiva con “se” (se pasiva), very common in announcements, signs, and general statements

Let’s see the contrast.

Spanish
Alguien reparó el coche.
Someone repaired the car.
Spanish
El coche fue reparado (por el mecánico).
The car was repaired (by the mechanic).
Spanish
La policía arrestó al ladrón.
The police arrested the thief.
Spanish
El ladrón fue arrestado por la policía.
The thief was arrested by the police.

La carta enviada ayer.

Las cartas enviadas ayer.

La ley fue por el Congreso.

La pasiva con se: super natural en español

Spanish loves the se pasiva in everyday contexts. It’s formed with se + verb in 3rd person (singular or plural), and the subject is the thing affected (not a person performing the action). No agent is normally mentioned.

Spanish
Se venden casas en este barrio.
Houses are sold in this neighborhood.
Spanish
Se busca profesor de inglés.
English teacher wanted.
Se vende casas. → Se venden casas. The verb must agree with the plural subject “casas.”
🧠 Choose the best form

Which one should I use?

  • Everyday Spanish, signs, ads, instructions: la pasiva con se.
  • Formal writing, news headlines when naming the agent, legal/administrative style: ser + participio.

Cultural note: In Spanish-speaking countries, street signs, shop windows, and classifieds prefer se pasiva (Se vende, Se alquila, Se necesita). Official statements and news often use ser + participio when highlighting the agent.

Spanish
Se prohíbe fumar.
Smoking is prohibited.
Spanish
La medida fue anunciada por el Ministerio.
The measure was announced by the Ministry.
🔠 Put the words in order

Ordena la frase pasiva con ser + participio.

La novela fue escrita García Márquez.

💬 Ordena el anuncio del museo
ser pretérito Irregular
Pronoun Conjugation
yo fui
tú fuiste
él/ella/usted fue
nosotros/as fuimos
vosotros/as fuisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedes fueron
fabricar
to manufacture; to make
verb
Los coches son fabricados en esta planta.
Cars are manufactured in this plant.
aprobar
to approve; to pass
verb
La ley fue aprobada por unanimidad.
The law was approved unanimously.
prohibir
to prohibit; to forbid
verb
Se prohíbe fumar en el museo.
Smoking is prohibited in the museum.
entregar
to deliver; to hand in
verb
Las tareas deben ser entregadas mañana.
Assignments must be handed in tomorrow.
anuncio
announcement; advertisement
noun
Se publicó un anuncio en el periódico.
An announcement was published in the newspaper.
aprobar verb root -ada past participle ending (feminine singular)
Se aprobó la ley por el Congreso. → La ley fue aprobada por el Congreso. Avoid agent phrases with se; use ser + participio to name the agent.

Quick practice: Spot the choice

  • Newspaper headline? Likely ser + participio if naming the agent: “La reforma fue criticada por la oposición.”
  • Store sign? Se pasiva: “Se cambian dólares.”
  • General policy notice? Either, but se pasiva feels more neutral: “Se permite el acceso con acreditación.”

Try making your own. Convert these active sentences:

  1. El ayuntamiento publica el informe. → “El informe ___ ___ (por el ayuntamiento).”
  2. La tienda arregla móviles. → “___ ___ móviles.”

Solutions you might produce:

  • El informe fue publicado (por el ayuntamiento).
  • Se arreglan móviles.

Notice how the first names the agent and the second keeps it general.

Wrap-up

You now can:

  • Use ser + participio to form formal passive and include an agent with por.
  • Use la pasiva con se for natural, everyday Spanish—signs, ads, and neutral announcements.
  • Keep agreement straight: participle agrees with the subject in ser-passives; the verb agrees with the thing in se-passives; impersonal se uses 3rd singular.

Keep your eyes open: on the street, online, and in the news, passive forms are everywhere. ¡Sigue practicando! Read signs, rewrite headlines, and decide: ¿se pasiva o ser + participio?