Literary Passive with Double Participles

Level 6

In high-register Portuguese, 'abundant verbs' (verbs with two past participles) can use their regular form (ending in -ado/-ido) in the passive voice. While standard grammar uses the short form for passives, this 'literary' choice shifts focus to the process of the action.

How It Works

Portuguese features a category called verbos abundantes (abundant verbs), which possess two past participle forms: a regular (long) form and an irregular (short) form.

  • Standard Rule: Use the regular form with ter or haver (active voice), and the irregular form with ser or estar (passive voice).
  • The Literary Exception: In formal literature, legal texts, or ecclesiastical contexts, the regular form is paired with ser. This is known as the voz passiva literária.

Why use it?
The short form usually describes a state or result (e.g., 'the book is printed'). The long form in a passive construction emphasizes the act itself (e.g., 'the book was [in the process of being] printed').

Morphology and Agreement:
Unlike the active voice where the regular participle is invariable, in this literary passive, the participle must agree in gender and number with the subject, just like a standard passive construction.

Common verbs involved include:

  • Aceitar (aceitado / aceito)
  • Eleger (elegido / eleito)
  • Expulsar (expulsado / expulso)
  • Imprimir (imprimido / impresso)
  • Matar (matado / morto)

Examples (4)

  1. O criminoso foi matado em combate.

    The criminal was killed in combat.

    Word by Word: The criminal was killed in combat.

    Uses the regular participle 'matado' instead of the standard 'morto' to emphasize the violent act of killing.

  2. A água tinha sido benzida pelo padre.

    The water had been blessed by the priest.

    Word by Word: The water had been blessed by the priest.

    In this compound passive, 'benzida' (regular) is used instead of 'benta' (irregular) for a formal, religious tone.

  3. Muitos candidatos foram elegidos naquela época.

    Many candidates were elected in those days.

    Word by Word: Many candidates were elected in that epoch.

    Uses 'elegidos' (regular) rather than 'eleitos' (irregular), common in older historical or legal narratives.

  4. O documento foi imprimido conforme as instruções.

    The document was printed according to the instructions.

    Word by Word: The document was printed according to the instructions.

    While 'impresso' is standard, 'imprimido' focuses on the mechanical process of printing.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the regular form in casual conversation for the passive voice.

    O livro foi imprimido ontem.
    O livro foi impresso ontem.

    In modern spoken Portuguese, using the long form with 'ser' sounds like a grammatical error to most natives, even if it exists in literature.

  • Failing to agree the regular participle with the subject in the passive voice.

    As luzes foram acendido.
    As luzes foram acendidas.

    Even when using the literary long form, the participle must agree in gender and number (feminine plural) with the subject (as luzes).

How It Connects

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Literary Passive with Double ParticiplesLevel 6

Learn This First

To understand the literary passive with double participles, you first need a solid grasp of the standard passive voice construction (ser + past participle). You must also be familiar with how participles act as adjectives in these constructions, agreeing in gender and number with the subject, and how the auxiliary verb 'ser' is conjugated across different tenses.