Kilo Lingo
French grammar Part of Chapter 21

CEFR B1-B2

3 min read

Test yourself (18 questions)

French Passive Voice: How to Form It, with Examples

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

The French passive is plus a past participle, and the participle agrees with the subject like an adjective. carries the tense; brings in the doer.

être, which carries the tensefeminine agreementplural agreementWhat do the colours mean?
TenseFrenchEnglish
present .The door is closed.
.The letter was written.
future .The bridge will be finished.
plural .The books are sold.
with the doer .He was arrested by the police.
everyday .My bag was stolen.

Quick check

Now use it: three quick questions on the chart above. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Tap the mistake English speakers make.

How to build it: être + past participle

The object of an active sentence becomes the subject of the passive. The doer, if you name them, comes in with :

The police arrest the thief becomes the thief is arrested by the police
Subject
être
Participle
Doer
Marie

The participle agrees with the subject, exactly as an adjective does after (the same agreement rule):

SubjectFrenchEnglish
.The book is sold.
.The house is sold.
plural .The books are sold.
plural .The houses are sold.

Most of these endings are silent, so the agreement shows only in writing. Where the participle ends in a silent consonant, the feminine makes it heard: . - The letter is written.

The tense lives in être

To change the tense of a passive, change and leave the participle alone:

TenseFrenchEnglish
present .The letter is written.
.The letter was written.
imparfait .The letter was written (state).
future .The letter will be written.
conditional .The letter would be written.

In the two participles stand together: never changes, and the main one agrees.

  • . - The windows were broken.
  • 1900. - The houses were built in 1900.
  • . - The bridge will be finished next year.

The doer: par, or de

être, which carries the tensefeminine agreementplural agreementWhat do the colours mean?

is the default and goes with actions. With feelings and states, is usual:

AgentFrenchEnglish
.The thief was arrested by the police.
Marie.The letter was written by Marie.
.He is respected by everyone.
.She is loved by her pupils.
.The summit is covered with snow.

With feelings, is also heard: . When in doubt, use .

French often says on instead

être, which carries the tensefeminine agreementplural agreementWhat do the colours mean?

English uses the passive to hide who did something. French prefers an active verb with (someone, people):

The shop has been closed: both are correct, the second is everyday French
  • . - My bag was stolen (literally, someone stole my bag from me).
  • , . - French is spoken here.
  • . - The concert has been cancelled.

For general truths, French also turns the verb reflexive with :

  • . - That is not said.
  • . - White wine is drunk chilled.

Keep the passive for when you name the doer, or for formal writing. More ways round it are on avoiding the passive.

I was given a book: no passive

Only a direct object can become the subject of a French passive. In , the book is the direct object; the person, after , is the indirect one.

One person holds out a smiling book towards a second person, who reaches out happily to take it; a curved arrow with a heart runs from the giver to the receiver.

On m'a donné un livre (I was given a book): on (1) gives, un livre (2) is the direct object, and me (3) receives it, the indirect object. Only the book could become a passive subject.

English makes the receiver the subject (I was given a book). French cannot, so use :

VerbEveryday FrenchEnglish
.I was given a book.
.They were told the news.
.We were asked to wait.

The book itself can be the subject, in a formal register: . - A book was given to me.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
.the participle agrees
.plural subject: -s
.être's is a
.the person is indirect: on
an action takes

What to do next

  1. Take three sentences from today's news and turn them into the passive.
  2. Then say each of them with , the way French speakers would.
  3. Next: the present participle and the gérondif.

Practise: test yourself

Build the word

0/4

Build the participle so that it agrees with the subject.

  1. la lettre a été ... (écrire)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  2. les maisons ont été ... (vendre)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  3. les livres sont ... (vendre)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  4. la porte est ... (fermer)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

Complete the story

0/4

Choose the right form for each gap.

The stolen bike

Hier, mon vélo a été devant la gare. Le voleur a été arrêté la police une heure plus tard. Ce matin, le vélo m' rendu. Ensuite, de signer un papier.

Gap 1 of 4

Spot the mistake

0/4

Tap the mistake English speakers make.

Pick the right one

0/4

Choose the form the sentence needs.

  1. La lettre écrite demain. (future)

  2. Les fenêtres cassées hier. (passé composé)

  3. Le voleur a été arrêté la police.

  4. My bag was stolen.

Put the words in order

0/2

Put the words in order.

  1. The thief was arrested by the police.

    Your sentence is empty.

  2. I was given a book.

    Your sentence is empty.

Chapters 1 and 2 free

This article is one lesson in a whole course

Every grammar point has its own article and drill, and the course wraps them in graded stories, games and printable worksheets, in the order you need them.

Chapters 1 and 2 free, forever. Plus: 7 days free, then $5 a month for all eleven languages.

Start learning free

French · Free printables

Practice worksheets and infographics

Practice worksheets with answer keys built in, plus infographic and listicle formats. Open any one to view, print or save.

Part of Kilo Lingo Plus

Printables beyond chapters 1 and 2 are part of Kilo Lingo Plus. Sign up free and start your free week to download as many as you like: no card.

Start your free week (no card)

More grammar on this course

Frequently asked questions

How do you form the passive voice in French?
Take in the tense you need and add the past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number like an adjective. (present), a ( ), (future). A feminine plural subject takes -es: . Name the doer with : a Marie.
Why does French avoid the passive and use on instead?
French finds the full passive heavy, and when the doer is unknown or unimportant it keeps an active verb with on (someone, people): on 'a (my bag was stolen), on (French is spoken here). With general truths it also uses a verb with : (that is not said). Keep the passive for when you name the doer or write formally.
Why can't you say 'I was given a book' as a passive in French?
Because, apart from a couple of old exceptions, only a direct object can become the subject of a French passive. In , the book is the direct object and the person is the indirect one. English promotes the person (I was given a book); French cannot, so is wrong. Use on: on 'a . The same goes for on 'a (I was told) and on 'a (I was asked).
When do you use and when for 'by' in the French passive?
is the default and goes with actions: a (the thief was arrested by the police). is usual with feelings and states: (he is respected by everyone), (the summit is covered with snow). If you are unsure, is the safer choice.
Does the past participle agree in the French passive?
Always, with the subject, because it behaves like an adjective after : , , . itself never changes: a , .