When reading rules or notices in a condominium, you will often see a formal, neutral tone. To express "It is requested..." or "It is forbidden...", French uses the impersonal passive.
The Impersonal Passive
Start with the impersonal pronoun il (it), add est (is), and follow it with a past participle. Because the subject is the impersonal il (as in "it is raining"), the past participle is always masculine singular.
When making an announcement, follow the past participle with que (that) and a new clause:
| It is announced that the door is broken. | Il est annoncé que la porte est cassée. |
Expressing Rules with Infinitives
When introducing an instruction or rule, follow the past participle with de (to) and an infinitive. You will frequently see this with verbs like demandé (requested), interdit (forbidden), prohibé (prohibited), and recommandé (recommended).
| It is prohibited to post messages in the elevator. | Il est prohibé d'afficher des messages dans l'ascenseur. |
| It is requested to respect the condominium rules. | Il est demandé de respecter le règlement de la copropriété. |
| It is forbidden to change the blinds on the facade. | Il est interdit de changer les stores sur la façade. |
| It is recommended not to create a nuisance at night. | Il est recommandé de ne pas créer de nuisances la nuit. |
Specifying the Agent
Just like in a standard passive sentence, use par (by) after the past participle to specify who is making or enforcing the rule.
| It is requested by the property manager to respect courtesy. | Il est demandé par le syndic de respecter la courtoisie. |