The Passive Never Names the Doer

Level 3

The Arabic passive voice (al-mabnī lil-majhūl) is used when the doer is unknown or unimportant. Unlike English, you cannot say 'The book was written by Ahmad' using a direct translation of 'by'.

How It Works

The term for passive in Arabic is المبني للمجهول, which literally means 'built for the unknown.' This name highlights the most important rule: the agent (doer) is omitted from the sentence.

When a sentence is made passive:

  • The original object becomes the نائب الفاعل (deputy subject) and takes the nominative case (-u).
  • The internal vowels of the verb change (e.g., kataba becomes kutiba).
  • The doer is completely removed.

The 'By' Problem:
English learners often try to use the preposition bi- to translate 'by,' but in Arabic, bi- indicates an instrument (a tool), not an agent. Saying 'kutiba al-kitābu bi-Aḥmad' would imply Ahmad was the pen used to write the book!

Modern Usage:
In modern journalism, you will see phrases like من قِبَل (min qibali - from the side of) or على يد ('alā yadi - at the hand of) to name the agent. While common today, these are considered 'translation loans' from Western languages and are still avoided in highly formal or classical contexts.

Examples (4)

  1. سُرِقَتِ السَّيَّارَةُ لَيْلًا.

    The car was stolen at night.

    Word by Word: Was stolen the car at night.

    A classic passive sentence where the thief is unknown. The word 'car' is in the nominative case (al-sayyāratu) because it is the deputy subject.

  2. كُتِبَ الدَّرْسُ.

    The lesson was written.

    Word by Word: Was written the lesson.

    The doer is omitted. If we wanted to say 'The student wrote the lesson,' we would use the active voice: 'Kataba al-ṭālibu al-darsa.'

  3. تَمَّ اتِّخَاذُ القَرَارِ مِنْ قِبَلِ اللَّجْنَةِ.

    The decision was taken by the committee.

    Word by Word: Was completed taking the decision from side of the committee.

    This is a modern journalistic style using 'min qibali' to name the agent, which is common in MSA but not in Classical Arabic.

  4. يُعْرَفُ الرَّجُلُ بِأَعْمَالِهِ.

    A man is known by his deeds.

    Word by Word: Is known the man by his deeds.

    Here, 'by' refers to the means/instrument of knowing, so the preposition 'bi-' is used correctly.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'bi-' to name a human agent.

    كُتِبَ الكِتَابُ بِأَحْمَد.
    كَتَبَ أَحْمَدُ الكِتَابَ. / كُتِبَ الكِتَابُ مِنْ قِبَلِ أَحْمَد.

    In Arabic, 'bi-' means 'by means of' or 'with.' Using it for a person makes them sound like a tool. Use the active voice or 'min qibali' in modern contexts.

  • Keeping the object in the accusative case.

    كُتِبَ الدَّرْسَ.
    كُتِبَ الدَّرْسُ.

    When the verb becomes passive, the object becomes the 'deputy subject' and must change from the accusative (-a) to the nominative (-u) case.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

The Passive Never Names the DoerLevel 3

Learn This First

To understand that the doer is never mentioned in a passive Arabic sentence, you must first be familiar with the concept of the 'doer' (الفاعل) in active sentences and know how to conjugate verbs in the passive voice for both the past and present tenses.