Vara-Passive (Stative) in Swedish

Overview

Swedish has three different ways to express the passive voice, each with a distinct nuance. The vara-passive, formed with vara (to be) plus a past participle, is used to describe a state or result rather than an action or process. When you say Dörren är stängd ("The door is closed"), you are describing the current state of the door -- not the act of someone closing it.

This construction becomes important at the B2 level because mastering it allows you to make subtle distinctions that Swedish speakers rely on in everyday communication. The vara-passive contrasts with the bli-passive (Dörren blir stängd -- "The door is being closed," focusing on the change of state) and the s-passive (Dörren stängs -- "The door is closed/gets closed," focusing on the process or habitual action).

Understanding when to use each passive type is a hallmark of advanced Swedish. The vara-passive is particularly common in descriptive writing, status reports, and any context where you want to convey a completed result rather than an ongoing action.

How It Works

Formation

The vara-passive is formed with a conjugated form of vara (to be) + past participle.

Tense	Formula	Example
Present	är + past participle	Dörren är stängd.
Past	var + past participle	Dörren var stängd.
Perfect	har varit + past participle	Dörren har varit stängd.
Future	kommer att vara + past participle	Dörren kommer att vara stängd.

Past Participle Agreement

Unlike the supine form (used with har in perfect tense), the past participle in vara-passive must agree in gender and number with the subject:

Subject Gender	Participle Form	Example
En-word (singular)	-d / -en	Boken är skriven.
Ett-word (singular)	-t / -et	Brevet är skrivet.
Plural	-da / -na	Böckerna är skrivna.

The exact participle ending depends on the verb group:

Verb Group	En-form	Ett-form	Plural
Group 1 (stänga)	stängd	stängt	stängda
Group 2 (skriva)	skriven	skrivet	skrivna
Group 3 (måla)	målad	målat	målade

Three Passives Compared

Type	Example	Focus
Vara-passive	Dörren är stängd.	State/result
Bli-passive	Dörren blir stängd.	Change/action
S-passive	Dörren stängs.	Process/habitual

Agent with av

When you want to indicate who performed the action that led to the state, use av (by):

Boken är skriven av honom. -- "The book is written by him."

Examples in Context

Swedish	English	Note
Dörren är stängd.	The door is closed.	State: the door is currently closed
Boken är skriven av honom.	The book is written by him.	Result with agent
Fönstren är målade.	The windows are painted.	Plural agreement: målade
Middagen är serverad.	Dinner is served.	Announcing a completed result
Brevet var redan skickat.	The letter was already sent.	Past tense, ett-word: skickat
Alla biljetter är sålda.	All tickets are sold.	Plural: sålda
Problemet är löst.	The problem is solved.	Ett-word: löst
Huset är byggt av trä.	The house is built of wood.	Material described as state
Datorerna är uppdaterade.	The computers are updated.	Plural agreement
Texten är översatt till engelska.	The text is translated into English.	Completed result
Bordet är dukat för fyra.	The table is set for four.	State description
Barnen är klädda i vitt.	The children are dressed in white.	Plural participle

Common Mistakes

Wrong: Dörren är stängd when you mean "The door is being closed right now." Right: Dörren blir stängd or Dörren stängs for an action in progress. Why: The vara-passive describes a state, not an ongoing action. If someone is closing the door at this moment, use bli-passive or s-passive.

Wrong: Boken är skrivit av honom. Right: Boken är skriven av honom. Why: The past participle must agree with the subject. Boken is an en-word, so you need the en-form skriven, not the supine skrivit.

Wrong: Fönstren är målad. Right: Fönstren är målade. Why: Fönstren is plural, so the participle must take its plural form: målade.

Wrong: Brevet är skriven. Right: Brevet är skrivet. Why: Brevet is an ett-word, so the participle needs the ett-form: skrivet.

Wrong: Confusing the supine and the past participle: Jag har skriven boken. Right: Jag har skrivit boken. (supine with har) or Boken är skriven. (participle with vara) Why: The supine (skrivit) is used with har/hade; the past participle (skriven/skrivet/skrivna) is used with vara/bli.

Usage Notes

The vara-passive is common in all registers, from casual speech to formal writing. It is particularly frequent in:

• Status descriptions: Affären är stängd. ("The store is closed.")
• Announcements: Middagen är serverad. ("Dinner is served.")
• Written descriptions: Huset är byggt på 1800-talet. ("The house is built in the 19th century.")

In formal and academic Swedish, the vara-passive appears frequently alongside the s-passive. In everyday conversation, it is the most natural way to describe states and results. There is no significant regional variation in how the vara-passive is used.

This construction is essential at B2 and above. At B1, learners typically encounter it in fixed phrases; at B2, you are expected to use it productively and distinguish it from the other passive types.

Practice Tips

1. State vs. action test. When you want to use a passive construction, ask yourself: "Am I describing a state or an action?" If the answer is a state (the result of something already completed), use vara-passive. If it is an action happening now or habitually, consider bli-passive or s-passive.

2. Practice participle agreement. Take five common verbs and write out their past participle in all three forms (en, ett, plural). Then create a vara-passive sentence for each. For example: stänga -- stängd/stängt/stängda.

3. Read real-world descriptions. Look at Swedish real estate listings (Hemnet) or product descriptions -- they are full of vara-passive constructions: Huset är renoverat, Köket är nymålat, Badrummet är kaklat.

Related Concepts

• Bli-Passive -- The parent concept; describes the action or change of state, contrasting with vara-passive's focus on the result.