Passive Voice

The passive voice is a grammatical construction that allows us to shift the focus from the subject to the object in a sentence. By using the passive voice, we highlight the action that is being done to the object, rather than the one performing the action.

In Portuguese, the passive voice is formed by conjugating the verb "ser" (to be) in the appropriate tense and adding the past participle of the main verb.

Here's the step-by-step guide on how to use the passive voice in Portuguese:

Step 1: Identify the object

Before using the passive voice, it's important to identify the object in the sentence. The object is the receiver of the action.

Example: "I eat an apple." -> The object is "an apple".

Step 2: Convert the object into the subject

In the passive voice, the object becomes the new subject of the sentence.

Example: "The apple is eaten." -> The object "an apple" has become the subject "the apple".

Step 3: Conjugate the verb "ser" in the appropriate tense

Conjugate the verb "ser" based on the tense you want to use. Here are some examples of conjugations of "ser" in different tenses:

• Present tense:

  • Eu sou (I am)
  • Tu és (You are)
  • Ele/ela/você é (He/she/you(formal) is)
  • Nós somos (We are)
  • Vós sois (You all are)
  • Eles/elas/vocês são (They/you all are)

• Past tense:

  • Eu fui (I was)
  • Tu foste (You were)
  • Ele/ela/você foi (He/she/you(formal) was)
  • Nós fomos (We were)
  • Vós fostes (You all were)
  • Eles/elas/vocês foram (They/you all were)

Step 4: Add the past participle of the main verb

The past participle of the main verb should be added after the conjugated form of "ser".

Example: "The apple is eaten." -> "A maçã é comida." (Past participle of "comer" - to eat)

Step 5: Optional: Add the agent (the doer of the action)

In some sentences, it may be necessary or desirable to include the agent, which is the person or thing that performs the action. This is done using the preposition "por" (by).

Example: "The apple is eaten by John." -> "A maçã é comida pelo (por+o) João."

Step 6: Practice and familiarize yourself with different tenses

Experiment with different tenses to express actions in the past, present, and future using the passive voice. Remember to conjugate "ser" accordingly and use the correct past participle form.

Example: "The apple was eaten." -> "A maçã foi comida." "The apple will be eaten." -> "A maçã será comida."

That's it! By following these steps, you can start using the passive voice in Portuguese to shift the focus from the subject to the object in your sentences.