The si passivante is a form of the passive voice that is used when the agent is not indicated. Either the third person singular or plural may be used, depending on the subject.
- Si passivante in Simple TensesThe si passivante can be used with any tense. In simple tenses (those without an auxiliary verb and a participle), its use is quite straightforward and follows the same pattern as the present indicative, using the third person singular and plural, which agrees with the subject.
- Presente
Si scrivono parecchi articoli sugli scandali politici.
A lot of articles about political scandals are written. - Futuro
Si compreranno i biglietti al museo.
Tickets will be bought at the museum. - Imperfetto
Nel passato si usavano molti tipi di grano per fare la pasta.
In the past they used many different types of grain to make pasta. - Condizionale
Se il ghiaccio polare dovesse sciogliersi completamente, si osserverebbe un improvviso innalzamento del livello del mare.
If the polar ice were to melt completely, one would observe a sudden rise in sea level. - Passato remoto
Quell’anno si decise di costruire un nuovo museo sul lungomare.
That year they decided to build a new museum on the waterfront.
- Presente
- Si passivante in Compound TensesIn compound tenses, essere is always used as the auxiliary verb and the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.
- Passato prossimo
Durante il corso, si sono imparate molte cose interessanti.
During the course, many interesting things were learned. - Futuro anteriore
Sarebbe meglio sospendere i giudizi definitivi, almeno fino a quando non si saranno letti i documenti.
It would be better to suspend any final judgment, at least until the documents are read. - Trapassato Prossimo
In due ore si erano raccolte tutte le olive.
All the olives had been harvested within two hours.
- Passato prossimo