Difference between revisions of "Language/Swedish/Grammar/Passive-Voice"

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<blockquote>was found</blockquote>
<blockquote>was found</blockquote>


==4 verb groups==
==Verb Groups==
You should inform yourself before about the 4 verb groups in Swedish and how to build the different tenses in the active form.
You should inform yourself before about the 4 verb groups in Swedish and how to build the different tenses in the active form.


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The S-passive is named so because you build first the right verb tense in the active form and then just put an <code>-s</code> to the so called "supinum". 
The S-passive is named so because you build first the right verb tense in the active form and then just put an <code>-s</code> to the so called "supinum". 


=== 2a-group ===
===Group 2 a===


Let's try it out together with the 2a-group verb  
Let's try it out together with the 2a-group verb  

Revision as of 13:24, 7 December 2021

S-passive Voice in Swedish


In today's lesson, you will learn how to form the passive Swedish verbs.


The Passive voice in Swedish does not use any subject. There is just an object with which something is done. 

Passive voice is used when we don’t know who is taking action or when it isn’t interesting who is doing it. In grammar terms we can express it as that we don’t have an agent in the sentence. 

Passive voice is often used in newspaper articles and also news on TV and radio.  Here are a few examples from Dagens Nyheter today: 

  • 20 skadades efter busskrock utanför Piteå. 

20 were injured after a bus crash outside Piteå. 

  • Sprängämnesstoff hittades i flickans sko. 

Explosive materials were found in the girl’s shoe.

The passive voice is also used when instructions are given such as recipes in an informal language.

You will find passive forms on a carton of milk or on a bill like this: 

  • Öppnas här! 

To be opened here.

  • Betalas senast 100831 

To be paid at the latest by Aug. 31, 2010. 



As you have seen the passive voice can be used for different tenses (actually all tenses) and it’s not complicated to construct the passive version of the verb.  You more or less just ad a -s to the regular form except for the present tense where you need to remove the -r.

It looks like this: 

Present tense

skadar (regular) skadas (passive) 
köper (regular) köps/köpes (passive) 
syr (regular) sys (passive) 
skriver (regular) skrives/skrivs (passive) 

Past tense

skadade (regular) skadades (passive) 
köpte (regular) köptes (passive) 
sydde (regular) syddes (passive) 
skrev (regular) skrevs (passive) 

Perfect participle

We can also create the passive voice with something called “the perfect participle” which is more common in spoken Swedish and less formal Swedish. I will discuss this in a different post but I can show you what our s-passives would look like constructed with a particple: 

  • skadades – blev skadad 

was hurt

  • hittades – blev hittad 

was found

Verb Groups

You should inform yourself before about the 4 verb groups in Swedish and how to build the different tenses in the active form.


The S-passive is named so because you build first the right verb tense in the active form and then just put an -s to the so called "supinum". 

Group 2 a

Let's try it out together with the 2a-group verb

att köra, kör!/(kör), körde/har, hade kört (Infintivi/imperativ!(presens)/simple past/perfect, plusquamperfect)-> köras/körs/kördes/körts 

Aktiv verbform Inifitiv (Active Inifitive)

  • Jag ska köra bilen. 

I will drive the car.

→ Passiv verbform Infinitiv plus -s:

  • Bilen ska köras. (köra + s).

The car will be driven. 

Aktiv form Presens (Active Present)

  • Jag kör bilen. 

I drive the car.

→ Passiv verbform Presens, imperativ plus -s:

  • Bilen körs. (kör + s)

The car is driven.

Aktiv form simple past (Active Past)

  • Jag körde bilen.

I drove the car.

→ Passiv verbform simple past plus -s:

  • Bilen kördes. (körde + s)

The car was driven.

Aktiv form perfect (first past tense)

  • Jag körde bilen.

I drove the car.

-> Passiv verbform Perfect plus -s:

  • Bilen körts. (har, hade kört + s)

The car has/had been driven.

Group 1

regular verbs, biggest group, "study": att studera/studera!/(studerar)/studerade/har, hade studerat -> studeras/studeras/studerades/har, hade studerats

Aktiv verb example i presens: Studenter (=subjekt) studerar (=present tense) lektionen om s-passiv (=objekt).

Passiv verb example i presens: Lektionen om s-passiv studeras.

Group 2b

"smoke": att röka/rök!/(röker)/rökte/har, hade rökt -> rökas/röks/röktes/har, hade rökts

Aktiv verb example i simple past: Han rökte 40 cigaretter.

Passiv verb example i simple past: 40 cigaretter röktes.

Group 3

"reside, live in": att bo/bo!/(bor)/bodde/har, hade bott -> bos/bos/boddes/har, hade botts

Aktiv verb example i perfect: En familj har bott i huset.

Passiv verb example i perfect: Huset har bebotts. (har bott -> botts + i -> be = bebotts)

Group 4

irregular verbs, exampel with "do": att göra/gör!/(gör)/gjorde/har, hade gjort -> göras/görs/gjordes/har, hade gjorts

Aktiv verb example i perfect: Hon hade gjort sin bäst att förklara s-supinum.

Passiv verb example i perfect: Det bästa hade gjorts att förklara s-supinum.

The rest is just to practice, good luck and have fun"

If I did mistakes or if you would like to add an translation or something new, please feel free to do so.