The Passive Voice in the Past Tense
To form the passive voice in the compound past (perfect compus), use the past tense of the verb a fi (to be) followed by the past participle of the main verb.
| Pronoun | Form of "a fi" |
|---|---|
| eu | am fost |
| tu | ai fost |
| el / ea | a fost |
| noi | am fost |
| voi | ați fost |
| ei / ele | au fost |
Just like in the present tense passive, the main verb's past participle acts like an adjective. It must agree in gender and number with the subject receiving the action.
For a masculine or neuter singular subject, the participle uses its base form (usually ending in -t or -s).
| The satellite was launched by the team. | Satelitul a fost lansat de către echipă. |
For a feminine singular subject, the participle takes the feminine ending -ă (or -să).
| The mission was abandoned, although it was important. | Misiunea a fost abandonată, deși era importantă. |
The Passive Voice in the Future Tense
To talk about actions that will happen to the subject, use the future tense of a fi along with the agreeing past participle.
| Pronoun | Form of "a fi" |
|---|---|
| eu | voi fi |
| tu | vei fi |
| el / ea | va fi |
| noi | vom fi |
| voi | veți fi |
| ei / ele | vor fi |
The structure behaves exactly the same way, with the participle changing to match the subject's gender.
| The crew will be sent into orbit. | Echipajul va fi trimis pe orbită. |
| Will the rocket be launched tomorrow? | Racheta va fi lansată mâine? |
Plural Subjects in the Passive Voice
When the subject is plural, the past participle must also take its plural form. For masculine plural subjects, this usually means an ending in -ți or -și. For feminine and neuter plural subjects, the participle ends in -te or -se.
| Important discoveries will be made in the universe. | Descoperiri importante vor fi făcute în univers. |