Esperanto forms a passive infinitive with infinitive esti plus a passive adjectival participle: esti informata, esti informita, esti informota. A passive volitive uses estu instead: La kandidatoj estu informitaj “Let the candidates be informed.” The participle supplies passive voice and relative aspect; esti/estu supplies infinitival or volitive status.
The structural pattern
The passive forms belong to the same six-participle system as ordinary adjectives and finite compounds:
| Passive relation | Infinitive | Volitive |
|---|---|---|
| ongoing or repeated | esti kontrolata | estu kontrolata |
| completed or result reached | esti kontrolita | estu kontrolita |
| still prospective | esti kontrolota | estu kontrolota |
The passive consonant -t- indicates that the described participant undergoes the action. Compare active esti kontrolanta “to be checking” and passive esti kontrolata “to be being checked.”
La inspektisto devas esti kontrolanta la liston nun.
The inspector must be checking the list now.
La listo devas esti kontrolata de la inspektisto nun.
The list must be being checked by the inspector now.
The first subject is the checker; the second is the thing checked. In ordinary prose, the active sentence is usually lighter when the agent is important.
Passive infinitives after modal and control verbs
Passive infinitives commonly follow devi, povi, voli, bezoni, and other verbs that take an infinitival complement.
Ĉiuj formularoj devas esti senditaj antaŭ vendredo.
All forms must be sent before Friday.
La dosiero povas esti malfermita per senpaga programo.
The file can be opened with a free program.
Mi volas esti informata pri ĉiu grava ŝanĝo.
I want to be kept informed about every important change.
The understood subject of esti informata is mi. If the desired passive subject is somebody else, Esperanto normally uses a ke-clause:
Mi volas, ke la tuta teamo estu informita antaŭ la kunveno.
I want the whole team to be informed before the meeting.
English readily uses “I want the team to be informed.” Esperanto avoids forcing la teamo into an English-style object-plus-infinitive frame and gives it its own volitive clause.
For general control patterns, see infinitives as complements.
Choosing -ata, -ita, or -ota
The participle is not a decorative equivalent of English “be + past participle.” It distinguishes the state of the passive event relative to the relevant point.
La maŝino devas esti kontrolata ĉiutage.
The machine must be checked every day.
La maŝino devas esti kontrolita antaŭ ol la fabriko remalfermiĝos.
The machine must have been checked before the factory reopens.
The repeated routine calls for -at-. The required completed result before reopening calls for -it-.
La malnova teatro ŝajnis esti malkonstruota, sed poste oni decidis renovigi ĝin.
The old theater seemed about to be demolished, but later they decided to renovate it.
-Ot- presents demolition as prospective, not obligatory or completed. It is less frequent in passive infinitives because the surrounding verb often already supplies futurity or obligation, but it is available when the prospective state itself is relevant.
Passive volitives as commands and requirements
The volitive estu + participle directs that a passive situation hold. It is especially useful when the desired result matters more than who produces it.
La pordo estu fermita dum la kunveno.
Let the door be kept closed during the meeting.
La ekipaĵo estu regule kontrolata kaj zorge purigata.
Let the equipment be checked regularly and cleaned carefully.
Ĉiuj kandidatoj estu informitaj pri la ŝanĝo hodiaŭ.
Let all candidates be informed about the change today.
These forms are natural in rules, resolutions, specifications, and (formal) instructions. In conversation, a direct active command is often better:
Fermu la pordon dum la kunveno.
Close the door during the meeting.
La pordo estu fermita focuses on the desired state; Fermu la pordon directly addresses the person responsible. Neither is inherently more polite.
Volitive clauses after requests, demands, and purposes
The passive volitive can head a subordinate ke-clause after a request, demand, decision, or desire.
La komitato petis, ke la raporto estu mallongigita.
The committee requested that the report be shortened.
Ni ŝanĝis la agordojn por ke la datumoj estu aŭtomate konservataj.
We changed the settings so that the data would be saved automatically.
In the first example, estu mallongigita presents a desired completed change. In the second, estu konservataj describes repeated automatic saving. The -u belongs to estu; the participle remains adjectival and agrees with its subject.
See the volitive in subordinate clauses for the broader trigger patterns.
Agreement and agent phrases
The participle agrees with the passive subject in number even though esti itself never changes for person or number.
La konfidencaj dokumentoj ne devas esti kopiitaj de eksteraj laborantoj.
The confidential documents must not be copied by external workers.
Ĉu la fenestroj estu lasitaj malfermitaj dum la nokto? — Ne, ili estu fermitaj antaŭ la oka.
Should the windows be left open during the night? — No, they should be closed before eight.
Kopiitaj, lasitaj, malfermitaj, fermitaj are plural with their subjects. An optional agent follows de. Do not keep an accusative -n on the promoted passive subject.
Lighter alternatives
Passive infinitives and volitives are sometimes exactly right, but several adjacent structures may be clearer:
| Patient-centered form | Lighter alternative | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| La raporto devas esti verkita. | Ni devas verki la raporton. | the responsible agent is known |
| La pordo estu fermita. | Fermu la pordon. | addressing the agent directly |
| La kandidatoj estu informitaj. | Oni informu la kandidatojn. | keeping the agent generic |
The passive is not an error; it is an information-structure choice. It becomes heavy when several layers are stacked without a discourse reason.
Foundational norm and register
The passive construction with forms of esti and passive participles is foundational. Infinitive esti and volitive estu combine productively with all three passive participles, although -at- and -it- are far more frequent in practical instructions. Passive volitives are neutral in careful prose and common in (formal) rules; direct active commands dominate ordinary conversation when the addressee is responsible.
Common Mistakes
Using an active participle for the affected subject
❌ La formularoj devas esti sendantaj hodiaŭ.
Incorrect — the forms do not perform the sending.
✅ La formularoj devas esti senditaj hodiaŭ.
The forms must be sent today.
Keeping the passive subject accusative
❌ La kandidatojn estu informitaj tuj.
Incorrect — kandidatoj is the subject of estu.
✅ La kandidatoj estu informitaj tuj.
Let the candidates be informed immediately.
Forgetting plural agreement
❌ La fenestroj devas esti fermita.
Incorrect — the participle must agree with the plural subject.
✅ La fenestroj devas esti fermitaj.
The windows must be closed.
Using -at- when completed result is required
❌ La pago devas esti farata antaŭ vendredo.
Wrong for a single payment that must be completed by Friday — -at- presents process or repetition.
✅ La pago devas esti farita antaŭ vendredo.
The payment must be made by Friday.
Copying English object plus infinitive
❌ Mi volas la teamon esti informita.
Incorrect English-style structure — give the different subject its own ke-clause.
✅ Mi volas, ke la teamo estu informita.
I want the team to be informed.
Key Takeaways
Build passive infinitives with esti + passive participle and passive commands or desired states with estu + passive participle. Choose -at-, -it-, -ot- by process, completion, or prospect; make the participle agree with its passive subject. Use a ke … estu clause for a different desired subject, and prefer an active command when the responsible person is central.
Related Topics
- Compound Passive TensesB2 — Combine esti with passive participles to present an affected subject during, after, or before an action.
- The Esti-PassiveB1 — Form the standard Esperanto passive with esti plus an agreeing passive participle, while keeping tense and event phase separate.
- Passive Past Participle -IT-C1 — Use -it- for an affected participant once an action is complete or its resulting state is relevant.
- Infinitives as ComplementsA1 — Build verb chains with an -i infinitive, assign its understood subject, and keep tense, negation, objects, and clause boundaries clear.
- The Volitive in Subordinate ClausesA2 — Learn when Esperanto uses -u in ke- and por ke-clauses to express a request, purpose, intended result, or other desired action.
- Choosing -AT- versus -IT-B2 — Choose -at- for an unfolding or repeated passive action and -it- for completion or its result, independently of the reference tense.