Passive + от + Doer

The Doer in Passive Sentences

Level 4Sounds Like stradatelen zalog s ot

Романът е написан от Иван Вазов. In a passive sentence, от means by and names the doer.

How It Works

1. The shape. Build the passive with съм from a form of съм and the past passive participle, then add от + the doer:

  • Романът е написан от Иван Вазов. (The novel was written by Ivan Vazov.)
  • Решението беше взето от директора. (The decision was made by the director.)
  • Писмото ще бъде подписано от министъра. (The letter will be signed by the minister.)

The participle agrees with the subject: романът е написан, книгата е написана, писмото е написано, писмата са написани.

2. Doer versus tool. От names the person or force that acts. A tool, method or material takes с: Картината е нарисувана от дъщеря ми с водни бои. (The picture was painted by my daughter in watercolours.)

3. Causes and feelings. With participles that describe a state, от often names the cause: Всички сме изненадани от новината. (We are all surprised by the news.)

4. Style. A passive with an от phrase is typical of news, history and formal writing. In conversation Bulgarians usually prefer an active sentence or a fronted object with a short pronoun: Решението го взе директорът. The passive with се can also take an от phrase, but that sounds official: Въпросът се обсъжда от комисията. (The issue is being discussed by the committee.) Remember that от also means from; context tells you which meaning is meant.

Examples (6)

  1. Романът е написан от Иван Вазов.

    The novel was written by Ivan Vazov.

  2. Решението беше взето от директора.

    The decision was made by the director.

  3. Къщата е построена от баща ми.

    The house was built by my father.

    Построена is feminine to agree with къщата.

  4. Писмото ще бъде подписано от министъра.

    The letter will be signed by the minister.

    The future passive uses ще бъде.

  5. Картината е нарисувана от дъщеря ми с водни бои.

    The picture was painted by my daughter in watercolours.

    От names the painter; с names the material.

  6. Всички сме изненадани от новината.

    We are all surprised by the news.

    Here от names the cause of a state.

Common Mistakes

  • Introducing the doer with с, like English "with".

    Романът е написан с Иван Вазов.
    Романът е написан от Иван Вазов.

    С means "with" and is used for tools or company. The doer in a passive sentence always takes от.

  • Leaving the participle in the masculine form when the subject is feminine.

    Книгата е написан от Иван Вазов.
    Книгата е написана от Иван Вазов.

    The passive participle agrees like an adjective with the subject, so a feminine subject needs -а.

How It Connects

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Passive + от + DoerLevel 4The Doer in Passive Sentences

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The doer in passives combines the passive and от.

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