Only a fi changes
You know the passive in three tenses: este invitat, a fost invitat, va fi invitat. The passive is always a fi + past participle, so it exists in every other tense and mood as well: put a fi into that form and keep the same participle. The participle still agrees with the subject: invitat, invitată, invitați, invitate.
| form of a fi | passive | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| present | este invitat | he is invited |
| perfect compus | a fost invitat | he was invited |
| future | va fi invitat | he will be invited |
| imperfect | era invitat | he was invited (regularly, back then) |
| subjunctive | să fie invitat | (that) he be invited |
| conditional | ar fi invitat | he would be invited |
| gerund | fiind invitat | being invited |
Era: what used to be done
The imperfect passive tells what was done regularly in the past, or sets the scene of a story. With some verbs it simply describes a state: ușa era închisă (the door was closed).
| In the past, letters were sent by mail. | Înainte, scrisorile erau trimise prin poștă. |
| Every summer, the festival was held in the park. | În fiecare vară, festivalul era organizat în parc. |
| When I was little, I was driven to school. | Când eram mic, eram dus la școală cu mașina. |
Să fie: after trebuie, vrea and the other să-verbs
Wherever a verb takes să, the passive is să fie + participle (să fiu when the subject is I). This is how you say what has to be done or what you want done.
| The project has to be finished by Friday. | Proiectul trebuie să fie terminat până vineri. |
| The letter has to be sent today. | Scrisoarea trebuie să fie trimisă azi. |
| I don't want to be seen here. | Nu vreau să fiu văzut aici. |
Ar fi: what would be done
The conditional auxiliary goes in front of fi: aș fi, ai fi, ar fi + participle. In a few lessons you will see aș fi + participle in a second job; in the passive, the sign is a participle that agrees with the subject (plătită, vândută).
| With more money, the road would be repaired. | Cu mai mulți bani, drumul ar fi reparat. |
| In another city, my sister would be paid better. | În alt oraș, sora mea ar fi plătită mai bine. |
Fiind: being done
Fiind is the gerund of a fi. At the start of a sentence it gives the reason or the circumstances. It refers to the subject of the main clause, so the participle agrees with that subject.
| Since we were invited to the wedding, we bought a gift. | Fiind invitați la nuntă, am cumpărat un cadou. |
| Being tired, I stayed home. | Fiind obosit, am rămas acasă. |
