Hindi Passive Voice: Complete Grammar Guide with Examples
Introduction to Passive Voice in Hindi
The passive voice in Hindi, known as कर्मवाच्य (karmavāchya), shifts the focus from the doer of an action to the recipient of the action. While English speakers use passive voice frequently, Hindi employs it in specific contexts, often to express formality, emphasize the action itself, or when the agent is unknown or unimportant.
Understanding passive voice is essential for reading formal Hindi texts, newspapers, and official documents where this construction appears regularly. It also helps learners express themselves more naturally in situations where active voice would sound awkward or overly direct.
Formation of Passive Voice in Hindi
Hindi passive voice is formed using a specific grammatical structure that differs significantly from English. The key components are:
- The object of the active sentence becomes the subject
- The verb root combines with जाना (jānā - to go) as an auxiliary
- The original subject (doer) takes the postposition से (se) or के द्वारा (ke dvārā)
- The verb agrees with the new subject (the original object)
Basic Structure
| Component | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Doer (agent) | Receiver of action |
| Agent marker | — | से / के द्वारा |
| Verb | Main verb conjugated | Verb stem + जाना |
Passive Voice Conjugation with जाना
| Tense | जाना Form | Example (लिखना - to write) |
|---|---|---|
| Present Habitual | जाता/जाती/जाते है | लिखा जाता है |
| Past | गया/गई/गए | लिखा गया |
| Future | जाएगा/जाएगी/जाएँगे | लिखा जाएगा |
| Present Continuous | जा रहा/रही/रहे है | लिखा जा रहा है |
| Subjunctive | जाए | लिखा जाए |
Verb Form in Passive
The main verb appears in its perfective participle form (also called the past participle), which agrees with the subject in gender and number:
| Subject Gender/Number | Verb Ending | Example with किया (done) |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine Singular | -आ (-ā) | किया गया |
| Masculine Plural | -ए (-e) | किए गए |
| Feminine Singular | -ई (-ī) | की गई |
| Feminine Plural | -ईं (-īṁ) | की गईं |
Usage of Passive Voice in Hindi
Passive voice in Hindi serves several important communicative functions:
1. Formal and Official Contexts
Government notices, news reports, and official documents frequently use passive constructions to maintain an impersonal, formal tone.
यह निर्णय सरकार द्वारा लिया गया। — This decision was taken by the government.
2. When the Agent is Unknown or Unimportant
When who performed the action is irrelevant or unknown, passive voice allows you to omit the agent entirely.
खिड़की तोड़ी गई। — The window was broken. (agent unknown)
3. Expressing Inability or Incapacity
A special use of passive voice with से expresses that someone cannot do something:
मुझसे यह काम नहीं होता। — This work cannot be done by me. / I cannot do this work.
4. Describing General Truths or Customs
भारत में चावल खाया जाता है। — Rice is eaten in India.
5. Politeness and Indirectness
Passive constructions can soften requests or statements, making them less direct.
Hindi Passive Voice Examples
Here are practical Hindi passive voice examples across different tenses and contexts:
Present Tense
यहाँ हिंदी बोली जाती है।
Hindi is spoken here.
यह किताब बहुत पढ़ी जाती है।
This book is read a lot.
Past Tense
ताजमहल शाहजहाँ द्वारा बनवाया गया।
The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan.
पत्र कल भेजा गया।
The letter was sent yesterday.
Future Tense
कल बैठक आयोजित की जाएगी।
A meeting will be organized tomorrow.
नए नियम अगले महीने लागू किए जाएँगे।
New rules will be implemented next month.
Continuous Tense
अभी खाना बनाया जा रहा है।
Food is being prepared right now.
सड़क की मरम्मत की जा रही है।
The road is being repaired.
Expressing Inability
उससे चला नहीं जाता।
He/She cannot walk. (lit: Walking is not done by him/her)
मुझसे यह बर्दाश्त नहीं होता।
I cannot tolerate this.
Common Mistakes
Learners often make these errors when forming passive voice in Hindi:
1. Incorrect Verb Agreement
The participle must agree with the grammatical subject (the receiver), not the agent.
- Incorrect: किताबें लिखा गया
- Correct: किताबें लिखी गईं (feminine plural agreement)
2. Using Wrong Auxiliary
Some learners try to use होना (to be) instead of जाना (to go) for passive constructions.
- Incorrect: काम किया हुआ है (this means "work is in a done state")
- Correct: काम किया जाता है (work is done - passive)
3. Forgetting the Postposition for Agent
When mentioning the agent, से or के द्वारा must be used.
- Incorrect: राम पत्र लिखा गया
- Correct: राम द्वारा पत्र लिखा गया or राम से पत्र लिखा गया
4. Overusing Passive Voice
Unlike English, Hindi uses passive voice less frequently in everyday speech. Overusing it can sound unnatural or overly formal. Active voice is preferred in casual conversation.
5. Confusing Passive with Compound Verbs
Don't confuse passive constructions with compound verbs using जाना that indicate completion:
- वह चला गया — He went away (compound verb, active)
- काम किया गया — Work was done (passive voice)
6. Incorrect Tense of जाना
The auxiliary जाना must be conjugated to match the intended tense while the main verb stays in participle form.
- Incorrect: कल मीटिंग की गई है (for future)
- Correct: कल मीटिंग की जाएगी (future tense)