Passive Participle Agreement
In the passive voice with 'ser', the past participle acts like an adjective and must agree with the subject.
How It Works
In Spanish, when you form the passive voice with the verb ser, the passive participle shows the same gender and number agreement as an adjective. This means it must agree in both gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the subject of the sentence.
The basic structure is:
Subject + ser (conjugated) + Past Participle (agrees with subject)
Think of it as applying the same rules as adjective agreement. The participle must 'match' the noun it describes (the subject).
Here are the four possible endings for a regular participle like 'comprado' (bought):
- Masculine Singular: El coche fue comprado. (The car was bought.)
- Feminine Singular: La casa fue comprada. (The house was bought.)
- Masculine Plural: Los coches fueron comprados. (The cars were bought.)
- Feminine Plural: Las casas fueron compradas. (The houses were bought.)
This rule also applies to irregular past participles. For example, 'escrito' becomes 'escrita', 'escritos', or 'escritas'.
Contrast With Haber
In Las cartas han sido escritas, han agrees in number with cartas; sido, directly after haber, remains unchanged; escritas, the passive participle with ser, agrees with cartas. In the active perfect Han escrito las cartas, escrito stays invariant.
Agreement Does Not Turn the Passive Into a Simple Adjective
A passive participle can retain verbal complements, including an agent with por. Agreement is shared with adjectives, but the construction still describes a passive event.
Examples (4)
- El puente fue construido en 1990.
The bridge was built in 1990.
Word by Word: The bridge was built in 1990.
The subject 'el puente' is masculine singular, so the participle is 'construido'.
- La carta fue escrita por mi abuela.
The letter was written by my grandmother.
Word by Word: The letter was written by my grandmother.
The subject 'la carta' is feminine singular, so the irregular participle 'escrito' changes to 'escrita'.
- Los problemas fueron resueltos rápidamente.
The problems were resolved quickly.
Word by Word: The problems were resolved quickly.
The subject 'los problemas' is masculine plural, so the participle is 'resueltos'.
- Las ventanas fueron abiertas para que entrara el aire.
The windows were opened so that air could come in.
Word by Word: The windows were opened so that the air would enter.
The subject 'las ventanas' is feminine plural, so the irregular participle 'abierto' changes to 'abiertas'.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting to change the participle's ending to match a feminine or plural subject.
La cena fue preparado por el chef.La cena fue preparada por el chef.The subject 'la cena' is feminine and singular. Therefore, the participle must also be feminine and singular: 'preparada', not 'preparado'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn passive participle agreement, you first need to understand how to form the passive voice using the verb 'ser'. Since the participle in this construction functions like an adjective, you must also be familiar with basic noun-adjective agreement and the standard formation of past participles.
Related Patterns
- Adjective Agreement
The passive participle follows adjective-like gender and number agreement. This shared agreement does not mean that every syntactic property of a passive participle is identical to an adjective.
Foundations - -ado/-idoPast Participle Formation
This pattern explains how to form the regular past participles that need to agree in gender and number in passive sentences.
Level 3 - hecho/dicho/escrito/visto/puesto/abierto/muerto/roto/vuelto/cubiertoIrregular Past Participles
Even irregular participles must agree in gender and number. This pattern lists common irregular forms you'll encounter.
Level 3 - estar + ParticipleEstar with Participle
This is a different structure where a participle also agrees with the subject. It's important to contrast the passive action ('ser + participle') with the resulting state ('estar + participle'). For example, 'La puerta fue abierta' (The door was opened - action) vs. 'La puerta está abierta' (The door is open - state).
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Passive Participle Agreement in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Spanish lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
