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B2 · Upper-intermediate · Lesson 26
Passive voice
Spotlight the result; hide the doer.
Polish has a 'state' passive (być + participle: the door is closed) and an 'action' passive (zostać + participle: the door got closed). In everyday speech, Poles often skip the passive entirely with się or a vague 'they'.
| Type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| State (być) | być + -ny/-ty | Drzwi są zamknięte |
| Action (zostać) | zostać + -ny/-ty | Dom został zbudowany |
| się passive | verb + się | Tu mówi się po polsku |
| vague 'they' | 3rd person pl. | Zbudowali most |
- •być + participle = a state; zostać + participle = the event.
- •się and 'they' are the everyday spoken alternatives.
Quick check
'The house was built' (the action):
zostać + participle marks a completed action.
Tu ____ się po polsku.
The się passive uses 3rd person: mówi się.
'The doors are open' (a state):
być + participle describes a state.
Practice
Now produce the answers yourself — type them, choose the form, or build the sentence.
'The house was built' (the action):
Tu ___ się po polsku.
się passive uses 3rd person.
'The doors are open' (a state):
Say: Polish is spoken here.
być + participle describes…