Passive With съм

The Passive with Съм

Level 3Sounds Like stradatelen zalog sʺs sʺm

Use a form of съм and a participle in -н or -т: Магазинът е затворен (The shop is closed). The participle changes like an adjective.

How It Works

1. The pieces. A form of съм plus the past passive participle, which ends in -н or -т: затворен (closed), построен (built), изпратен (sent), измит (washed).

2. Agreement. The participle behaves like an adjective (see adjective agreement):

  • Магазинът е затворен. (masculine)
  • Къщата е построена. (feminine)
  • Писмото е изпратено. (neuter)
  • Билетите са продадени. (plural)

3. Tense. Change only съм: Писмото беше изпратено вчера (The letter was sent yesterday), Резултатите ще бъдат обявени утре (The results will be announced tomorrow; see the passive with бъда). With a past time phrase, the present form also reports a finished event: Къщата е построена през 1900 година.

4. State or action. Магазинът е затворен usually describes a state: it is closed now. Къщата е построена през 1900 година describes a finished action. The time phrase and the context show which one is meant.

5. Naming the doer. Add от: Романът „Под игото“ е написан от Иван Вазов (The novel Under the Yoke was written by Ivan Vazov). See the doer in passive sentences.

6. Polite Вие. When polite Вие is addressed to one person, the -н/-т participle stays singular: Господине, Вие сте одобрен (Sir, you have been approved). The л-participle is different: it is plural with Вие.

Examples (6)

  1. Магазинът е затворен в неделя.

    The shop is closed on Sundays.

  2. Къщата е построена през 1900 година.

    The house was built in 1900.

    Построена is feminine because къща is feminine.

  3. Писмото беше изпратено вчера.

    The letter was sent yesterday.

  4. Всички билети са продадени.

    All the tickets have been sold.

  5. Романът „Под игото“ е написан от Иван Вазов.

    The novel Under the Yoke was written by Ivan Vazov.

    От introduces the doer.

  6. Резултатите ще бъдат обявени утре.

    The results will be announced tomorrow.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to make the participle agree.

    Вратата е затворен.
    Вратата е затворена.

    Врата is feminine, so the participle takes the feminine ending -а.

  • Using the л-participle instead of the passive participle.

    Писмото е изпратило.
    Писмото е изпратено.

    Изпратило is an active form, so the sentence would say the letter did the sending. The passive needs the -н/-т participle.

How It Connects

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Passive With съмLevel 3The Passive with Съм

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The passive with съм needs the passive participle.

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