do + Agent + Verb

Formal Passive with Do

Level 4

In formal Vietnamese, you can create a neutral passive sentence by placing do and the doer of the action directly before the verb.

How It Works

The do + Agent + Verb pattern is a syntactic structure used to express an agent-focused passive action. It fronts the patient or topic of the sentence while explicitly highlighting who is responsible for carrying out the action.

Key Rules and Nuances:

  • Mandatory Agent: While other passive markers allow you to drop the doer, do strictly requires the agent to be named. You cannot say "The project was done" using do; you must say "The project was done by [Someone]".
  • Word Order: Because Vietnamese is an isolating language, the verb undergoes no changes. However, the do + Agent phrase must appear before the verb, unlike English where "by [Agent]" comes after.
  • Register: This pattern is highly frequent in formal, administrative, journalistic, and literary contexts. In casual speech, active voice is usually preferred.

Contrasting with "bởi":
Learners often try to translate the English passive "by" using bởi placed after the verb (e.g., viết bởi...). Native linguists widely consider this to be unnatural "translationese" (a calque from Western languages). Using do before the verb is the native, natural way to mark the agent.

Contrasting with "do" as "because":
Do is also a common conjunction meaning "because/due to" (as seen in do ... nên ...). You can tell them apart by context: the passive frame always features a transitive verb acting on the fronted topic.

Examples (4)

  1. Dự án này do công ty X thực hiện.

    This project is carried out by Company X.

    Word by Word: Project this by company X carry out.

    A classic formal business sentence. Notice how the agent (công ty X) comes before the verb (thực hiện).

  2. Cuốn sách này do ông Nguyễn viết.

    This book was written by Mr. Nguyen.

    Word by Word: Classifier book this by Mr. Nguyen write.

    Emotionally neutral. It simply states a fact about authorship without implying it was a particularly good or bad thing.

  3. Quyết định cuối cùng sẽ do giám đốc đưa ra.

    The final decision will be made by the director.

    Word by Word: Decision final will by director put out.

    Common in administrative contexts. The agent (giám đốc) is mandatory for the sentence to be grammatically correct.

  4. Bữa tiệc hôm nay do mẹ tôi chuẩn bị.

    Today's party was prepared by my mother.

    Word by Word: Meal party today by mother my prepare.

    While formal, it can be used in everyday contexts to emphasize exactly who did the work.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing the agent after the verb, mirroring English syntax.

    Dự án thực hiện do công ty X.
    Dự án do công ty X thực hiện.

    In English, "by [Agent]" follows the verb. In Vietnamese, the do + Agent block must precede the verb.

  • Omitting the agent.

    Dự án này do thực hiện.
    Dự án này do chúng tôi thực hiện.

    Unlike bị or được, which allow agentless passives, do exists specifically to introduce the agent. You cannot drop the doer.

  • Using "bởi" after the verb instead of "do" before the verb.

    Cuốn sách này được viết bởi ông Nguyễn.
    Cuốn sách này do ông Nguyễn viết.

    While bởi is sometimes seen in translated texts, native speakers strongly prefer do placed before the verb for a natural passive structure.

How It Connects

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

do + Agent + VerbLevel 4Formal Passive with Do

Learn This First

The 'do + Agent + Verb' pattern is a formal passive construction. To understand it, learners should already be familiar with how Vietnamese handles passive voice using 'được' or 'bị', the concept of moving an object to the front of a sentence (topicalization), and the use of Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary in formal registers.

Words in This Pattern

do