Catalan B2: The passive: ser + participle & es · Words

ser + participle, which agrees with the subject, appears in writing and the news: La casa va ser construïda el 1900 per un arquitecte famós. Everyday Catalan prefers the passiva pronominal with es, and the verb agrees with the thing: Es ven pis. Es venen pisos. With no subject at all, es + singular: Aquí es menja molt bé.

• construir — to build
• destruir — to destroy
• robar — to steal
• inventar — to invent
• traduir — to translate
• publicar — to publish
• el segle — century
• el pont — bridge

• Aquest llibre es va publicar l’any passat. — This book was published last year.
• M’han robat la bici. — My bike was stolen.
• El castell va ser construït al segle XVI. — The castle was built in the 16th century.
• Això no es fa. — That isn’t done.