Passive constructions
B2 Страдательный залог 47 / 50
In short
Russian builds the passive two ways: the reflexive -ся passive with imperfective verbs for a process or general fact (Дом стро́ится), and short passive past participles with perfective verbs for a completed result (Дом постро́ен). The agent, if named, goes in the instrumental - but Russian usually prefers the active or a 3rd-plural “they” form instead.
The rule
Two patterns, split by aspect and meaning.
(1) Reflexive -ся passive — imperfective — a process or a general statement. Take an imperfective transitive verb, add -ся / -сь, and use the 3rd person. The thing acted upon becomes the grammatical subject (nominative); the verb agrees with it.
- Дом стро́ится рабо́чими. (The house is being built by workers.)
- Кни́ги продаю́тся здесь. (Books are sold here.)
- Э́тот вопро́с обсужда́ется. (This question is being discussed.)
(2) Short passive past participle — perfective — a completed result / state. Take a perfective transitive verb, form its passive past participle, and use the short form, which agrees in gender and number with the subject. The verb быть supplies the tense (zero in the present).
- Дом постро́ен. (The house is built / has been built.)
- Письмо́ напи́сано. (The letter is written.)
- Магази́н закры́т. (The shop is closed.)
- Зада́ча решена́. (The problem is solved.)
The agent (the “by”-phrase) goes in the instrumental in both patterns: рома́н напи́сан Пу́шкиным, дом стро́ится рабо́чими. Most often the agent is simply left out - that is exactly when the passive is useful.
Register. Both passives sound formal / written (news, science, official texts). In everyday Russian people prefer the active voice or the indefinite-personal 3rd-plural “they”: Дом стро́ят (“They’re building the house”), Здесь продаю́т кни́ги (“They sell books here”).
Forms & patterns
Short passive participle - agreement by gender/number (the быть-tense is separate):
| Форма | постро́ить (build) | реши́ть (solve) | закры́ть (close) | прочита́ть (read) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| m. sg. | постро́ен | решён | закры́т | прочи́тан |
| f. sg. | постро́ена | решена́ | закры́та | прочи́тана |
| n. sg. | постро́ено | решено́ | закры́то | прочи́тано |
| pl. | постро́ены | решены́ | закры́ты | прочи́таны |
Note the stress shift in решён → решена́, решено́, решены́ (ё → ending stress).
How the suffix is chosen (perfective verb → participle):
| Verb type | Suffix | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ать / -ять | -н- | написа́ть → напи́сан, сде́лать → сде́лан |
| -ить (and many on -ти/-чь) | -ен- / -ён- | реши́ть → решён, постро́ить → постро́ен, перевести́ → переведён |
| -ыть / -ть (monosyll. roots), -нуть | -т- | закры́ть → закры́т, взять → взят, забы́ть → забы́т |
Verbs in -ить mutate the stem consonant before -ен- / -ён- - the same kind of change as in the я-form of the present (я куплю́, я оплачу́), but here it runs through every form of the participle: б в м п ф add л (купи́ть → ку́плен, соста́вить → соста́влен), с → ш (пове́сить → пове́шен), т → ч or щ (оплати́ть → опла́чен, возврати́ть → возвращён), д → ж or жд (посади́ть → поса́жен, освободи́ть → освобождён) - which of ч/щ and ж/жд a verb takes is unpredictable, so learn it with the participle.
Tense of the short-participle passive (быть carries the tense):
| Tense | Masculine example | English |
|---|---|---|
| Present | Дом постро́ен (no быть) | The house is built |
| Past | Дом был постро́ен | The house was built |
| Future | Дом бу́дет постро́ен | The house will be built |
Reflexive -ся passive (imperfective, 3rd person, present):
| Russian | English |
|---|---|
| Дом стро́ится | The house is being built |
| Кни́ги продаю́тся | Books are (being) sold |
| Вопро́с обсужда́ется | The question is being discussed |
| Слова́ пи́шутся так | The words are written like this |
Examples
| Русский | English |
|---|---|
| Дом стро́ится рабо́чими уже́ полго́да. | The house has been under construction by workers for half a year. |
| Здесь продаю́тся све́жие о́вощи. | Fresh vegetables are sold here. |
| Э́тот вопро́с сейча́с акти́вно обсужда́ется. | This question is being discussed actively right now. |
| Письмо́ уже́ напи́сано и отпра́влено. | The letter is already written and sent. |
| Магази́н закры́т до восьми́ утра́. | The shop is closed until eight in the morning. |
| Зада́ча была́ решена́ за пять мину́т. | The problem was solved in five minutes. |
| Э́тот рома́н напи́сан изве́стным писа́телем. | This novel was written by a famous writer. |
| Но́вая шко́ла бу́дет постро́ена в сле́дующем году́. | A new school will be built next year. |
Common mistakes
- Письмо́ напи́салось -> Письмо́ напи́сано - for a completed result use a short participle, not a perfective -ся form (which sounds intransitive/accidental).
- Дверь закры́т -> Дверь закры́та - the short participle must agree in gender/number (дверь is feminine).
- Рома́н напи́сан от Пу́шкина -> Рома́н напи́сан Пу́шкиным - the agent (“by”) is plain instrumental, never от / с.
- Дом есть постро́ен -> Дом постро́ен - no present-tense “быть”; the tense is zero in the present.
- Магази́н закры́тый (predicate) -> Магази́н закры́т - use the short form as a predicate of state; the long form is attributive (“a closed shop”).
Tips
- Aspect splits the job: imperfective -ся = process (стро́ится), perfective short participle = result (постро́ен). Pick the form by what you mean.
- The agent is instrumental and usually dropped - the passive shines exactly when the doer is unknown or unimportant.
- Treat the short participle like a short adjective: it agrees (-∅ / -а / -о / -ы) and быть adds the tense (был / бу́дет).
- In speech, reach for the 3rd-plural active instead: Дом стро́ят, Здесь говоря́т по-ру́сски - the passive belongs to formal, written Russian.