The passive: és considerat, ha estat traduït
The passive in Catalan is built with ser + participle: És considerat el millor pintor del país — he is considered the best painter in the country. The participle agrees: considerat (he) — considerada (she). Participles are recognized by the endings "-at/-ada", "-ut/-uda", "-it/-ida": traduït, traduïda. For example: “És considerat el millor pintor del país” — He is considered the best painter in the country. A rule…
How it works
The passive in Catalan is built with ser + participle: És considerat el millor pintor del país — he is considered the best painter in the country. The participle agrees: considerat (he) — considerada (she). Participles are recognized by the endings "-at/-ada", "-ut/-uda", "-it/-ida": traduït, traduïda.
When the result matters more than the moment, the passive goes into the perfect: ha estat + participle — "has been translated": Aquest llibre ha estat traduït a deu llengües. The doer is introduced through per: ha estat traduït per un poeta. And when it is not the doer but the common opinion that matters, Catalan prefers the impersonal es + verb: Es considera que el quadre és molt valuós — it is considered that the painting is very valuable.
Table
| frame | what it means | example |
|---|---|---|
| ser + participle | a state, an assessment | és considerat |
| ha estat + participle | a result (perfect passive) | ha estat traduït |
| per + who | the doer | per un poeta |
| es + verb | impersonal "it is considered" | es considera que… |
By example
- És considerat el millor pintor del paísHe is considered the best painter in the country
- Aquest llibre ha estat traduït a deu llengüesThis book has been translated into ten languages
- Es considera que el quadre és molt valuósIt is considered that the painting is very valuable
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
The passive: how does it work in Valencian?
The passive in Catalan is built with ser + participle: És considerat el millor pintor del país — he is considered the best painter in the country. The participle agrees: considerat (he) — considerada (she). Participles are recognized by the endings "-at/-ada", "-ut/-uda", "-it/-ida": traduït…
What does it look like in an example sentence Valencian?
“És considerat el millor pintor del país” — He is considered the best painter in the country. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.