French Passive Voice Rules: Formation, Agreement, and Usage

In French grammar, sentence construction dictates where the listener's or reader's attention lands. While the active voice highlights the person or thing performing the action (the agent), the passive voice (la voix passive) shifts the spotlight onto the receiver of the action.

Whether you are studying for the DELF B1/B2 exams or refining your written French, mastering the rules governing the French passive voice is an essential step toward fluency.

1. How to Form the Passive Voice in French

Transforming an active sentence into a passive sentence follows a logical three-step mechanism:

1. The direct object (COD) of the active sentence becomes the grammatical subject of the passive sentence.

2. The main verb is replaced by the auxiliary verb être (conjugated in the exact same tense as the original active verb) + the past participle of the main verb.

3. The original subject becomes the agent complement (complément d'agent), usually introduced by par (by).

Example:

  • Active: Le comité approuve la décision. (The committee approves the decision.)
    • *Sujet: Le comité Verb: approuve (Present) Direct Object: la décision*
  • Passive: La décision est approuvée par le comité. (The decision is approved by the committee.)

    • 2. The Core Rule: Past Participle Agreement

    *Passive Subject: La décision Auxiliary: est (Present) Past Participle: approuvée Agent: par le comité*

Unlike English, where the past participle remains unchanged (was chosen / were chosen), French grammar enforces strict agreement rules.

Because the passive voice always relies on the auxiliary verb être, the past participle must agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the passive subject.

  • Masculine Singular: Le contrat est signé. (The contract is signed.)
  • Feminine Singular: La lettre est signée. (The letter is signed.)
  • Masculine Plural: Les contrats sont signés. (The contracts are signed.)
  • Feminine Plural: Les lettres sont signées. (The letters are signed.)

Failing to add the feminine `-e` or plural `-s` is one of the most frequent mistakes made by learners in written French.

3. Tense Conjugation Chart

A common misconception is that the past participle changes with the tense. It does not; only the auxiliary être changes tenses.

4. "Par" vs. "De": Introducing the Agent

Tense Active Voice Passive Voice
:--- :--- :---
Présent Il bâtit la tour. La tour est bâtie par lui.
Passé Composé Il a bâti la tour. La tour a été bâtie par lui.
Imparfait Il bâtissait la tour. La tour était bâtie par lui.
Plus-que-parfait Il avait bâti la tour. La tour avait été bâtie par lui.
Futur Simple Il bâtira la tour. La tour sera bâtie par lui.
Conditionnel Il bâtirait la tour. La tour serait bâtie par lui.
Subjonctif Présent ... qu'il bâtisse la tour. ... que la tour soit bâtie par lui.

While par corresponds to the English "by" in approximately 90% of passive sentences, certain categories of verbs require the preposition de (or d'):

Verbs of Emotion and Regard

  • aimer, adorer, détester, respecter, estimer, craindre, apprécier
  • Example: Le directeur est estimé de tous ses collègues. (The director is esteemed by all his colleagues.)

    • Verbs describing affection, respect, or intellectual evaluation take de:

    Verbs of Description and Physical State

  • être composé de, être bordé de, être entouré de, être couvert de
  • Example: L'île est entourée de récifs coralliens. (The island is surrounded by coral reefs.)

    • Verbs depicting composition, boundaries, or static coverage use de:

Note: If an explicit, physical action is taking place at that specific moment, par is restored: Ex.: L'île a été entourée par les navires ennemis. (Dynamic event).

5. Major Restrictions: When Can You NOT Use the Passive Voice?

English speakers frequently stumble here due to structural differences between the two languages:

1. Only transitive direct verbs can be made passive. A verb must take a direct object (sans préposition) in the active voice.

2. Indirect objects cannot become passive subjects in French.

In English, you can say: "I was told the truth" or "He was given a prize." In French, dire and donner take indirect objects (dire à quelqu'un, donner à quelqu'un). You cannot say ❌ « J'ai été dit la vérité ».

6. Native Alternatives to the Passive Voice

French stylistics naturally favors active constructions over passive ones. Native speakers frequently replace the passive with two alternatives:

1. The pronoun "On":

Instead of saying: « Le voleur a été arrêté », natives will say: « On a arrêté le voleur » (Someone / they arrested the thief).

2. The Passive Reflexive (La voix pronominale passive) :

  • Le fromage se mange à température ambiante. (Cheese is eaten at room temperature.)
  • Le mot « billet » s'écrit avec deux L. (The word 'billet' is spelled with two Ls.)

    • Used for general statements, rules, or inanimate objects:

    Summary Checklist

To apply French passive voice rules accurately:

1. Check if the verb takes a direct object.

2. Conjugate être to the required tense.

3. Match the past participle in gender and number with the new subject.

4. Select par (action) or de (feeling/state).

5. Consider whether an active sentence with on sounds more natural!