Passive voice. Passive in French Passive in French

Explain in more detail how the passive voice is formed in French? thanks and got the best answer

Answer from VeroNika[guru]
This article was written by my friend: Cet article EST ECRIT par mon ami
The passive form is formed using the verb être in the appropriate tense and the participe passé of the conjugated verb.
In the passive form, the participe passé always agrees in gender and number with the subject.
When changing from the active form to the passive form, the direct object becomes the subject, and the subject becomes the indirect object.
In French grammar, this indirect addition has a special name: complément d'agent.
Forme active Forme passive
Un canal reunite les deux rivières.
Les deux rivieres sont reunites par un canal.
If in the active form the subject is expressed by the indefinite pronoun on, in the passive form there is no complément d'agent.
Forme active Forme passive
On a bien traduit ce texte. Ce texte a été bien traduit.
The indirect object of a verb in the passive form, denoting the producer of the action, is introduced by the prepositions par and de.
If the indirect object is the direct active source of the action, the preposition par is used:
L"Universite de Moscow a ete fondee par Lomonossov.
The preposition de is used:
Before an indirect object relating to verbs expressing various feelings, for example: aimer, adorer, détester, mépriser, estimer, respecter, etc.:
Cet étudiant est aimé et respecté de tous ses camarades.
After the verbs couvrir, entourer, planter, orner, charger, remplir, border and some others, if the indirect object is not the direct source of the action:
Les rues sont couvertes de neige.
La maison était ornée de colonnes.
The preposition par is used before the actual source of action:
La scène a été ornée de fleurs et de drapeaux par les élèves.
Note: after verbs that require the preposition de before the indirect object, a partial article and indefinite article plurals are omitted:
Les arbres sont couverts de neige.
Les tables sont couvertes de nappes blanches.
La table est couverte d"une nappe.
Sentences with a verb in the passive form can be translated into Russian:
With verbs in the passive form:

Cet immeuble fut transformé en musée il y a dix ans. This building was converted into a museum 10 years ago.
Using a verb in the active form using subject inversion:
Cette nouvelle fut écrite par Maupassant. This novella was written by Maupassant. (This short story was written by Maupassant.)
Verb in reflexive form:
Ce dictionnaire est vendu dans toutes les librairies. This dictionary is sold in all stores.
In a vaguely personal sentence:
Cet immeuble est transformé en musée. This building has been converted into a museum.
Ce dictionnaire est vendu dans toutes les librairies. This dictionary is sold in all bookstores.
Dani
Oracle
(68455)
Je parle de votre exemple "Le canal reunit les deux rivieres"

"Voix passive - passive voice"

Form passive voice (voix passive), or passive form (forme passive), indicates that the subject experiences the action expressed by the predicate of the sentence:
- Le professeur interroge l’étudiant. (active form)
- L'étudiant est interrogé par le professeur. (passive form)
- The professor asks the student.

As a rule, only those French transitive verbs that are used with a direct object (that is, without prepositions) can take a passive form.
Formation of the passive form occurs with the help of an auxiliary verb être And participe passé semantic verb. Forms être agree with the subject in person and number, forms participe passé - in gender and number.
The tense of the passive form of the verb is determined by the tense of the auxiliary verb être .

Verb intrroger (to ask) in passive form

Indicatif :

Present
je suis interrogé(e)
tu es interrogé(e)
il est interrogé
elle est interrogée
nous sommes interrogé(e)s
vous etes interrogé(e)s
ils sont interrogés
elles sont interrogées
Passé composition Passé simple
j'ai été interrogé(e)
nous avons été interrogé(e)s
je fus interrogé(e)
nous fûmes interrogé(e)s
Imparfait Plus-que-parfait
j'étais interrogé(e)
nous étions interroge(e)s
j'avais été interrogé(e)
nous avions été interrogé(e)s
Future simple Futur antherieur
je serai interrogé(e)
nous serons interrogé(e)s
j'aurai été interrogé(e)s
nous aurons été interro gé(e)s
Conditionnel
Present Passé
je serais interrogé(e)
nous serions interrogé(e)s
j'aurais été interrogé(e)
nous aurions été interrogé(e)s
Subjonctif
Present Passé
que je sois interrogé(e)
que nous soyons interrogé(e)s
que j'aie été interroga(e)
que nous ayonsetéinterrogé(e)s
Imparfait Plus-que-parfait
que je fusse interrogé(e)
que nous fussions interroge(e)s
que j'eusse été interrogé(e)
que nous eussions été interrogé(e)s
Impératif
Present Passé
sois interrogé(e)
soyons interrogé(e)s
soyez interrogé(e)s
aie été interrogé(e)
ayons été interrogé(e)s
ayez été interrogé(e)s
Infinity Participe
Present Present
être interrogé(e,s,es)étant interrogé(e,s,es)
Passé Passé
avoir été interrogé(e,s,es) été interrogé(e,s,es)

Passé composition

ayant été interrogé(e,s,es)

Rules for converting an active structure to a passive one:

1. When converting an active structure to a passive one,the verb in the active voice becomesverb in the passive voice; the subject of the active construction becomes, expressing the producer of the action:


Active design :
Anne mange la pomme. - Ann eats an apple.
¯¯¯¯¯ ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜
Anne- subject;
mange- predicate in the active voice;

la pomme- direct addition.
Passive design:
La pomme est mangee par Anne. - The apple (was) eaten by Anna.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜
La pomme- subject;
est mangee- predicate in passive voice;
par Anne- an indirect object expressing the producer of the action.

2. If the subject of the verb in the active form is expressed by a pronoun on , in passive form producer

d e action not specified:
- On a construit cette maison l’été dernier.
- This house was built last summer.
- Cette maison a été construite l’été dernier.
- This house was built last summer.
If the predicate of an active construction includes an infinitive form of the verb, in a passive construction only it is in the passive voice:
- On doit acheter ces livres.
- We must (we must) buy these books.
- Ces livres doivent être achetés.
- These books must be bought.
- Le directeur va me reccevoir.
- The director will see me soon.
- Je vais être reçu par le directeur.
- I will soon be accepted by the director.

Choosing a preposition before the indirect object of a passive verb expressing the producer of the action:

An indirect object expressing the producer of an action can be attached to a verb in a passive form using prepositions par And de .
1. Preposition par emphasizes the activity of the action producer:
- Cette le ttre a été écrite par mon adjoint.
- This letter was written by my deputy.
- L'enfant a été mordu par le chien de garde.
- The child was bitten by a guard dog.

2. Preposition de is used more often in cases where the subject expressed by an indirect object does not play an active role. For example:
- after verbs expressing feelings or thought processes ( aimer, respecter, estimer, adorer, détester, haïr, mépriser, conn a ître, oublier, ignorer and etc.):

- Mon chef est respecté de tous.
- My boss is respected by everyone.
- after verbs être accompagné, être suivi, être précédé, être saisi :
- Elle est accompagne de son mari.
- She is accompanied by her husband.
- Le conseil de sécurité fut saisi de la demande de la Grande-Bretagne.
- Great Britain submitted its issue to the Security Council for consideration.
3. Some verbs can be accompanied by a preposition par , and a pretext de :
- La place etait couverte par une foule.
- The square was covered with a crowd.
- La plaine était couverte d"une neige profonde.
- The plain was covered with deep snow.
Pretext par can be used instead of a preposition de also in all of the above cases.

Features of using the passive form:

Some verbs in the passive form have the meaning of the past active voice in the present tense. In this case, they do not express an action, but the result achieved upon completion of this action:
- Le travail est fait depuis une heure.
- The work was done (=the work was done) an hour ago.
These verbs can also indicate an action that occurs at the moment of speech (in the present). Only context makes it possible to establish the meaning of such a passive construction:
- Le travail est fait sous mes yeux par des ouvriers.
- The work is being done by the workers before my eyes (that is, now).
Passive forms should not be confused with active forms of verbs conjugated with être :

Expresses the relationship between action, subject and object;

Can be active, passive, recurrent.

Active voice, or active form

✓ In the active form, the subject denotes a person (or thing) who performs an action or is in a certain state:

Marcel me raconte la fin du film. Marcel tells me the end of the film.

Le vent souffle. The wind blows.

Tu es devenu sage. You have become intelligent.

✓ The active form is:

Transitive verbs;

Intransitive verbs.

Passive voice, or passive form

✓ In the passive form, the subject denotes the person (or thing) who experiences the action expressed by the verb:

Cet acteur est aimé du public. This actor is loved by the public.

Ce roman a été traduit en russe. This novel has been translated into Russian.

✓They have a passive form

Directly transitive verbs;

Exception: avoir, comporter, comprendre (= consist of), pouvoir.

Two indirect transitive verbs - pardonner à and obéir à:
Tu es pardonnée. You are forgiven.

Elle veut etre obéie. She wants to be listened to.

✓ The transformation of the active form into a passive one occurs as follows:

the direct object of the active form becomes the subject of the passive;

the subject of the active form becomes an indirect, agentive, complement (complement d’agent), introduced by the preposition par or de; the verb in the active form is replaced

être + participe passé

Être is placed in the same mood and tense as the active verb.

✓ Participe passé agrees in gender and number with the subject:

Les astronomes observers cette comète. -Cette comite est observée par les astronomes.

Le directeur vous recevra à midi.- Vous serez reçu par le directeur à midi.

NB In a complex verbal predicate, only the infinitive is placed in the passive form:

On vient de régler ces problems. — Ces problèmes viennent d’être réglés.

On devait presenter le journal television. — Le journal televisé devait etre présenté.

✓ If the subject of the active form is expressed

The pronoun on or quelqu’un, then in the passive they are omitted:

Quelqu'un retrouvera se tableau. Someone will find this picture.

Ce tableau sera retrouvé. The picture will be found.

A personal pronoun, then in the passive it is used only when highlighting and contrasting:

C’est moi qui les ai invités chez nous (et pas toi). It was I who invited them to us, not you.
Ils ont été invités chez nous par moi (et pas par toi). They were invited to us by me, not by you.

✓ In French preference is given to the active form. The passive form is used when they want to emphasize either the agent of the action or the result of the action.

Prepositions par and de

✓ An agentive object is usually introduced by the preposition par:

La chanson a été chantée dans ce film par Jacques Brel. The song in this film was performed by Jacques Brel.

Sa voiture est arrêtée par la police. His car was stopped by the police.

✓ The preposition de appears after verbs that express

Feelings:

être + aimé (adoré, détesté, haïr, estimé, respecté, louché,…)

Cet enfant est aimé de ses parents. This child is loved by his parents.

être + connu (ignore)

Ce monument est connu de tous. This monument is known to everyone.

Escort:

être + accompagné (suivi, précédé, composé, couronné, couvert, entouré,...)

Ils sont entourés de silence. There is silence around them.

§ 1 Passive form of the verb in French

You've probably already heard such expressions as active and passive form. In Russian they are correctly called pledges. In French, as in Russian, verbs have two voices:

active voice, that is, the active form when the subject itself performs the action.

For example, J'écris une lettre. I'm writing a letter. Who is I, what am I doing? I am writing, that is, I am performing the action myself.

And the passive voice, that is, the passive form, when the subject experiences the action. Let's change the previous sentence into a passive form: The letter has been written. La lettre est ecrite. What is a letter, a letter, what is done is written. A letter cannot write itself, but it can BE written by someone else.

In the formation of the passive form in French, this verb - to be - plays one of the important roles. In French, the passive form, that is, the passive voice, is formed using the verb être, which is placed at the right time and participe passé of the main verb. True, it is very similar to the formation of the past tense passé composé. Therefore, it is also important to remember that verbs conjugated in passé composé with the auxiliary verb être do not have a passive voice.

Compare:

L'enfantest restéchez sa grand-mère. The child remained with his grandmother. est resté is time passé composé. We can make the child the object of the action and say: The child was left with the grandmother, but then, as in Russian, in French we will need not the active verb to stay - rester, but the passive verb to leave - laisser.

Look:

L'enfantest laisséchez sa grand-mère. est laissé is already a passive form. The child was left behind by the grandmother.

So, in the passive voice the subject experiences the action, but does not perform it.

For example:

Je suis invitéà une exposition. I was invited to the exhibition.

That is, I am not inviting someone, but I was invited. It is not known who invited to the exhibition in this proposal.

But if a sentence contains an indication of a person or thing performing an action, it is often introduced using the preposition par.

Ce romana été écritpar Jules Verne. This novel was written by Jules Verne.

In this phrase, the verb être is in the past tense a été.

It is worth noting that with some verbs, such as:

Ce professeurest respectédeces élèves. This teacher is respected by his students. Les ruessont couvertes deneige. The streets are covered with snow.

There is one more rule that is important to remember when studying the topic Passive form.

In the last example of Les rues sont couvertésde neige, we see that the past participle, that is, the participe passé of the verb, agrees in gender and number with the word being defined. There are many streets, so in the passive form sont couvertеs there is an s at the end. In addition, in French the street is also feminine, so in the back of the sont couvertеsо s there is also the letter e - an indicator of the feminine gender in French.

Let's give more examples.

La dictée est corrigéepar le professeur. The dictation was corrected by the teacher. The word “dictation” is feminine in French, so in the past participle corrigée we put an extra, unreadable e at the end.

Or, Les vacances ont été gâchéespar la pluie. The holidays were ruined by the rain.

Les vacances - vacations in French are feminine and also plural, so in participe passé gâchées we put es at the end.

In conclusion, I would like to remind you of the conjugation of the verb être in three main tenses: présent, passé composé, future simple. After all, as you have already noticed in our examples, a sentence is not always built in the present tense, but can be in the past and in the future.

Let's compare three proposals.

Currently présent: Le sapinest décorépar les enfants. The Christmas tree is decorated by children.

In the past tense, passé composé: Le sapina été décorépar les enfants. The tree was decorated with children. In the future tense futur simple: Le sapin sera décorépar les enfants. The tree will be decorated with children.

§ 2 Brief summary lesson

Thus, the passive voice formepassive in French is formed using the verb être, which is in the right tense, and the past participle of the main verb participepassé, which agrees in gender and number with the noun being defined. I hope you understand the intricacies and nuances of this topic. And you will use the passive form. After all, sometimes you just can’t do without it.

List of used literature:

  1. French. A large reference book for schoolchildren and those entering universities / E.V. Ageeva, L.M. Belyaeva, V.G. Vladimirova et al.-M.: Bustard, 2005.-349, p.- (Large reference books for schoolchildren and applicants to universities.)
  2. Le petit Larousse illustré/HER2000
  3. E. M. Beregovskaya, M. Toussaint. Blue bird. A teacher's book for the French language textbook for 6th grade in general education institutions.
  4. Gak, V.G. new French-Russian dictionary / V.G. Gak, K.A. Ganshina.- 10th ed., stereotype. –M.: Rus.yaz.-Media, 2005.- XVI, 1160, p.
  5. E. M. Beregovskaya. Blue bird. French. 6th grade. Textbook for general education institutions.

Images used:

French verbs have a grammatical category called voice. The voice shows whether the subject itself produces the action, or whether it is the object of the action expressed by the predicate. It is for this purpose that verbs are used either in real, active voice, or passive, passive voice.

In the active form, the subject denotes a person (or thing) who performs an action or is in a certain state:

Marcel me raconte la fin du film. — Marcel tells me the end of the film.

Le vent souffle. - The wind blows.

Tu es devenu sage. -You have become reasonable.

Both transitive and intransitive verbs have an active form.

In the passive form, the subject denotes the person (or thing) who experiences the action expressed by the verb:

Cet acteur est aimé du public. — This actor is loved by the public.

Ce roman a été traduit en russe. — This novel has been translated into Russian.

Direct transitive verbs have a passive form. The exceptions are the verbs: avoir, comporter, comprendre (= consist of), pouvoir and two indirectly transitive verbs: pardonner à and obéir à:

Tu es pardonnée. - You are forgiven.

Elle veut etre obéie. “She wants to be listened to.”

The translation of the active form into the passive occurs as follows: the direct object of the active form becomes the subject of the passive, and the subject of the active form becomes an indirect object, which is introduced by a preposition par or de. The verb in the active form is replaced by être + participe passé.

Être is placed in the same mood and tense as the active verb.

Participate passé agrees in gender and number with the subject.

Present

Passé composition

je suis invite (-e)
tu es invite (-e)
il (elle) est invitation (-e)
nous sommes invitations (-es)
vous êtes invitations (-es)
ils (elles) sont invitations (-es)

j"ai été invite (-e)
tu as été invite (-e)
il (elle) a été invité (-e)
nous avons été invites (-es)
vous avez été invites (-es)
ils (elles) ont été invites (-es)

Imparfait- j "etais invitation (-e)
Passe simple- je fus invite (-e)
Plus-que-parfait- j"avais été invité (-e)
Future simple- je serais été invité (-e)

Les astronomes observers cette comète. - Cette comete est observée par les astronomes.

Le directeur vous recevra à midi.- Vous serez reçu par le directeur à midi.

In a complex verbal predicate, only the infinitive is placed in the passive form:

On vient de régler ces problems. — Ces problèmes viennent d’être réglés.

On devait presenter le journal television. — Le journal televisé devait etre présenté.

If the subject of the active form is expressed by a pronoun on or quelqu'un, then in the passive they are omitted:

Quelqu'un retrouvera se tableau. - Someone will find this painting.

Ce tableau sera retrouvé. - The painting will be found.

If the subject of the active form is expressed by a personal pronoun, then in the passive it is used only when highlighted and contrasted:

C’est moi qui les ai invités chez nous (et pas toi).- It was I who invited them to us, not you.

Ils ont été invités chez nous par moi (et pas par toi). “They were invited to us by me, not by you.”

In French, the active form is most often preferred. The passive form is used when they want to emphasize either the agent of the action or the result of the action.

An indirect object is usually introduced by a preposition par:

La chanson a été chantée dans ce film par Jacques Brel. — The song in this film was performed by Jacques Brel.

Sa voiture est arrêtée par la police. — His car was stopped by the police.

Pretext de appears after verbs that express:

Knowledge:

être + connu (ignore)

Ce monument est connu de tous. — This monument is known to everyone.

Feelings:

être + aimé (adoré, détesté, haïr, estimé, respecté, louché,…)

Cet enfant est aimé de ses parents. — This child is loved by his parents.

Escort:

être + accompagné (suivi, précédé, composé, couronné, couvert, entouré,…)

Ils sont entourés de silence. — There is silence around them.

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