Passive Voice in Urdu

In Brief

Urdu normally forms the passive from a verb’s perfective form in ا، ی، ے plus a conjugated form of جانا (“to go”): خط لکھا گیا means “The letter was written,” while کتاب پڑھی گئی means “The book was read.” The passive agrees with the person or thing affected by the action, and the doer is usually omitted or marked with سے or کے ذریعے. A related everyday pattern, مجھ سے چلا نہیں جاتا, expresses inability: “I cannot manage to walk.”

Overview

The passive voice presents an event from the viewpoint of what is affected. Compare active مزدوروں نے مکان بنایا (“The workers built the house”) with passive مکان بنایا گیا (“The house was built”). In the active sentence, the workers are central; in the passive, the house is central and the builders need not be named. The affected participant is sometimes called the patient—simply the person or thing that an action happens to.

At B2, this construction brings together several familiar parts of Urdu: perfective verb forms, gender and number agreement, compound verb patterns, and postpositions (short words placed after a noun), especially سے. English also has a passive, but the forms do not map word for word. English uses “be + past participle”; Urdu uses an inflected verb form followed by جانا.

The passive is especially frequent when the doer is unknown, obvious, unimportant, or deliberately left unstated. It is common in news, notices, instructions, academic prose, and administrative language. Urdu also extends passive-like grammar to general rules and to actions that someone cannot perform, which is why recognizing the construction matters in conversation as well as formal writing.

How It Works

1. Build the basic passive

For an ordinary transitive verb—a verb that acts on an object—the core pattern is:

affected noun + perfective verb form + conjugated جانا

The perfective form describes an action as a whole or completed event. Its ending normally matches the affected noun:

Agreement	Typical ending	Example from لکھنا (“to write”)
Masculine singular	ـا	لکھا
Feminine singular	ـی	لکھی
Masculine plural	ـے	لکھے
Feminine plural	ـی plus plural auxiliary	لکھی گئیں / لکھی جاتی ہیں

The form of جانا carries tense and also agrees with that noun:

Affected noun	Passive	Meaning
خط (masculine singular)	خط لکھا گیا۔	The letter was written.
کتاب (feminine singular)	کتاب لکھی گئی۔	The book was written.
خطوط (masculine plural)	خطوط لکھے گئے۔	The letters were written.
کتابیں (feminine plural)	کتابیں لکھی گئیں۔	The books were written.

Forms are not always made by simply removing نا and attaching a predictable ending. Common verbs may have familiar perfective stems: کرنا → کیا, دینا → دیا, لینا → لیا, and پینا → پیا. Learn these as the same forms used elsewhere in Urdu perfective grammar.

2. Choose the tense or aspect on جانا

The first verb names the action; جانا shows when or how that passive event takes place.

Meaning	Pattern	Example	Translation
Habitual/general present	ـا/ـی جاتا/جاتی ہے	یہ کتاب پڑھی جاتی ہے۔	This book is read.
Completed past	ـا/ـی گیا/گئی	مکان بنایا گیا۔	The house was built.
Ongoing action	ـا/ـی جا رہا/رہی ہے	سڑک بنائی جا رہی ہے۔	The road is being built.
Future	ـا/ـی جائے گا/گی	نتیجہ کل بتایا جائے گا۔	The result will be announced tomorrow.
Perfect/result relevant now	ـا/ـی گیا/گئی ہے	دروازہ بند کیا گیا ہے۔	The door has been closed.

The habitual form often describes customs, routine procedures, or general facts rather than an action happening at this moment:

• اردو بولی جاتی ہے۔ — Urdu is spoken.
• یہاں چائے پیش کی جاتی ہے۔ — Tea is served here.

For something in progress now, include رہا after جا:

• چائے بنائی جا رہی ہے۔ — Tea is being made.
• درخواستوں کی جانچ کی جا رہی ہے۔ — The applications are being checked.

3. Keep agreement with the affected noun

In a straightforward passive, both verbal parts reflect the affected noun’s gender and number. English does not mark this distinction, so English-speaking learners must consciously check the Urdu noun.

Noun	Gender/number	Correct passive
فیصلہ	masculine singular	فیصلہ کیا گیا۔
تصویر	feminine singular	تصویر بنائی گئی۔
سوال	masculine plural	سوال پوچھے گئے۔
درخواستیں	feminine plural	درخواستیں بھیجی گئیں۔

A noun marked with کو is outside the simplest agreement pattern. Urdu commonly uses کو for definite human patients, as in مہمانوں کو بلایا گیا (“The guests were invited”). In such sentences, the verb often appears in the masculine singular default form. Treat frequent کو passives as complete patterns rather than trying to force visible agreement with the marked noun.

4. Mention the doer only when useful

The agent is the doer of an action. Urdu often leaves it out in a passive because the reason for choosing the passive is precisely that the doer is not central:

• میٹنگ ملتوی کر دی گئی۔ — The meeting was postponed.
• نئی پالیسی کا اعلان کیا گیا۔ — The new policy was announced.

When an agent must be named, سے can mark it. کے ذریعے means “through/by means of” and is especially natural for a channel, organization, process, or formal attribution.

Marker	Typical use	Example
سے	doer or source of the action	یہ نظم اقبال سے لکھی گئی۔ — This poem was written by Iqbal.
کے ذریعے	channel, means, or formal agent	پیغام ریڈیو کے ذریعے نشر کیا گیا۔ — The message was broadcast by radio.

For a simple statement where the doer matters, an active sentence is often more natural: کمیٹی نے فیصلہ کیا (“The committee made the decision”) is more direct than a passive that laboriously adds the committee back in.

5. Form passives of noun + کرنا expressions

Urdu has many predicates made from a noun or adjective plus کرنا, such as اعلان کرنا (“to announce”) and استعمال کرنا (“to use”). Their passive uses کیا جانا, inflected for the noun affected by the action:

Active expression	Passive infinitive	Finite example
اعلان کرنا	اعلان کیا جانا	اعلان کیا گیا۔
استعمال کرنا	استعمال کیا جانا	یہ لفظ استعمال کیا جاتا ہے۔
جمع کرنا	جمع کیا جانا	فیس جمع کی جائے گی۔
بند کرنا	بند کیا جانا	دکان بند کی گئی۔

The final agreement follows the affected noun: فیس and دکان are feminine, hence کی جائے گی and کی گئی.

6. Distinguish passive جانا from vector جانا

Not every sequence ending in گیا is passive. Urdu also uses جانا as a vector verb, a second verb that adds a sense such as completion or change of state. وہ سو گیا means “He fell asleep”; nobody performed “sleeping” on him, so it is not passive. A true passive normally has an action that can be understood as affecting someone or something: خط بھیجا گیا (“The letter was sent”).

Examples in Context

Urdu	Romanization	English	Note
یہ کتاب پڑھی جاتی ہے۔	yeh kitāb paṛhī jātī hai	This book is read.	Habitual passive; کتاب is feminine.
اردو کئی ملکوں میں بولی جاتی ہے۔	urdū ka'ī mulkoṅ meṅ bolī jātī hai	Urdu is spoken in several countries.	General fact.
مکان دو سال پہلے بنایا گیا۔	makān do sāl pahle banāyā gayā	The house was built two years ago.	Completed past.
تمام خطوط کل بھیجے گئے۔	tamām khutūt kal bheje ga'e	All the letters were sent yesterday.	Masculine plural agreement.
رپورٹ آج شائع کی گئی۔	riporṭ āj shā'e kī ga'ī	The report was published today.	Feminine agreement with رپورٹ.
نئی سڑک بنائی جا رہی ہے۔	na'ī saṛak banā'ī jā rahī hai	A new road is being built.	Ongoing passive.
نتائج اگلے ہفتے جاری کیے جائیں گے۔	natā'ij agle hafte jārī kiye jā'eṅ ge	The results will be released next week.	Future, masculine plural.
مہمانوں کو شام سات بجے بلایا گیا۔	mehmānoṅ ko shām sāt baje bulāyā gayā	The guests were invited for seven in the evening.	Human patient marked by کو; default form.
فیصلہ انتظامیہ کے ذریعے کیا گیا۔	faislā intizāmiyah ke zarī'e kiyā gayā	The decision was made by the administration.	Explicit formal agent.
یہاں جوتے نہیں پہنے جاتے۔	yahāṅ jūte nahīṅ pahne jāte	Shoes are not worn here.	General rule.
درخواست کل تک جمع کی جائے۔	darkhwāst kal tak jam' kī jā'e	The application should be submitted by tomorrow.	Formal, impersonal instruction.
مجھ سے چلا نہیں جاتا۔	mujh se chalā nahīṅ jātā	I cannot manage to walk.	Passive-like inability construction.
اس سے اتنا انتظار نہیں ہوتا۔	us se itnā intizār nahīṅ hotā	He/She cannot bear waiting that long.	Lack of capacity or tolerance.

Common Mistakes

Using نے for an agent inside the passive

• Wrong: استاد نے سبق پڑھایا گیا۔
• Right: سبق پڑھایا گیا۔
• Also possible: سبق استاد سے پڑھایا گیا۔
• Why: نے marks the agent in many active perfective clauses: استاد نے سبق پڑھایا. A passive agent is omitted or marked in another way; active and passive structures cannot be spliced together.

Ignoring the affected noun’s gender

• Wrong: کتاب پڑھا گیا۔
• Right: کتاب پڑھی گئی۔
• Why: Feminine کتاب requires feminine پڑھی گئی. English “was read” gives no gender clue, so identify the Urdu noun before choosing the endings.

Using a habitual form for an action happening now

• Wrong for “The road is being built”: سڑک بنائی جاتی ہے۔
• Right: سڑک بنائی جا رہی ہے۔
• Why: بنائی جاتی ہے describes what is generally or regularly done. بنائی جا رہی ہے marks an action in progress.

Translating every English passive literally

• Awkward for “I was born in Lahore”: میں لاہور میں پیدا کیا گیا۔
• Natural: میں لاہور میں پیدا ہوا۔ (male speaker) / میں لاہور میں پیدا ہوئی۔ (female speaker)
• Why: Languages package events differently. Urdu normally uses پیدا ہونا, literally “to come into being,” rather than copying the English passive.

Treating کے ذریعے as an all-purpose “by”

• Heavy in ordinary conversation: کھانا امی کے ذریعے بنایا گیا۔
• Natural: امی نے کھانا بنایا۔
• Why: کے ذریعے often suggests a means, channel, intermediary, or formal institutional agent. If the doer is important and ordinary, prefer the active voice.

Reading an inability construction literally

• Misleading word-for-word reading: مجھ سے چلا نہیں جاتا = “Walking is not gone by me.”
• Natural meaning: مجھ سے چلا نہیں جاتا۔ = “I cannot manage to walk.”
• Why: The whole construction presents the action as beyond the person’s capacity or control. Translate its function, not each piece separately.

Usage Notes

Passive frequency depends strongly on register. News reports, official statements, research writing, and public notices favor formulas such as بتایا گیا (“it was stated”), فیصلہ کیا گیا (“it was decided”), کارروائی کی جائے گی (“action will be taken”), and تحقیقات کی جا رہی ہیں (“an investigation is being conducted”). Such wording keeps attention on the event and can avoid naming responsibility.

Conversation is generally more likely to use an active clause when everyone knows who acted. “Sara opened the window” is naturally سارہ نے کھڑکی کھولی. A passive becomes useful when the result is the topic: کھڑکی کھول دی گئی ہے (“The window has been opened”). The added vector دینا in کھول دی گئی highlights completion; the entire phrase is then passivized with گئی.

General passives often correspond to English “people,” “you,” or “one,” not necessarily an English passive. ایسا نہیں کیا جاتا can mean “That is not done” or “You don’t do that.” یہاں فارسی بھی بولی جاتی ہے may be translated “People also speak Persian here.” A natural translation can change voice while preserving the meaning.

In signs and office instructions, جائے creates an impersonal directive: فارم صاف حروف میں بھرا جائے (“The form should be completed in clear lettering”). It sounds official and less personally addressed than فارم بھریں (“Fill in the form”).

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Inability and adversity

Urdu can use سے with a negative passive or impersonal expression to show that an action does not come within someone’s capacity:

oblique person + سے + action + نہیں + جاتا/ہوتا

“Oblique” means the pronoun or noun form used before a postposition: میں becomes مجھ before سے, giving مجھ سے.

Urdu	Natural English	Typical nuance
مجھ سے یہ کام نہیں ہوتا۔	I can’t manage this task.	General inability or difficulty.
اس سے پڑھا نہیں جاتا۔	He/She cannot manage to study.	Circumstantial, physical, or emotional difficulty.
ہم سے انتظار نہیں ہوتا۔	We cannot bear waiting.	Impatience or low tolerance.
مجھ سے یہ بات کہی نہیں جاتی۔	I cannot bring myself to say this.	Emotional resistance.

Compare this with سکنا (“to be able”):

• میں چل نہیں سکتا۔ — I cannot walk. (male speaker; plain statement of ability)
• مجھ سے چلا نہیں جاتا۔ — I cannot manage to walk. (the action feels physically difficult or beyond control)

The difference is contextual rather than mathematical. The سے ... نہیں جاتا pattern often sounds more experiential, involuntary, or burdened. It can express bodily incapacity, embarrassment, reluctance, or emotional difficulty.

Modal and infinitive combinations

Passive infinitives appear with necessity and recommendation expressions:

• قواعد پر عمل کیا جانا چاہیے۔ — The rules should be followed.
• یہ کام آج مکمل کیا جانا ہے۔ — This work is to be completed today.
• درخواست وقت پر جمع کی جانی چاہیے۔ — The application should be submitted on time.

Here کیا جانا / کی جانی functions as “to be done.” Agreement can remain visible inside the passive infinitive, as feminine درخواست triggers کی جانی.

Responsibility and deliberate vagueness

Like English, Urdu passive can conceal or background responsibility: غلط فیصلہ کیا گیا (“A wrong decision was made”) does not identify the decision-maker. This may be neutral because the agent is unknown, or strategic because the speaker does not wish to accuse anyone. Compare افسر نے غلط فیصلہ کیا (“The officer made the wrong decision”), which assigns responsibility directly.

Do not assume every omitted agent is evasive. In پل 1998 میں تعمیر کیا گیا (“The bridge was constructed in 1998”), the date and the bridge simply matter more than the builders.

Practice Tips

1. Transform short active sentences. Change علی نے خط لکھا into خط لکھا گیا, and سارہ نے کتاب پڑھی into کتاب پڑھی گئی. First circle the affected noun and label its gender; then choose both passive forms.
2. Build a four-way tense set. Take one phrase, such as درخواست جمع کرنا, and produce جمع کی جاتی ہے، جمع کی گئی، جمع کی جا رہی ہے، جمع کی جائے گی. This isolates the changing form of جانا.
3. Collect real formulas by register. From news or notices, save chunks such as اعلان کیا گیا, ہدایت دی گئی, and کارروائی کی جائے گی. Separately practice pairs with سکنا and سے ... نہیں جاتا so that plain inability and experiential difficulty do not merge in your mind.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Compound Verbs (Vector Verbs) — helps distinguish passive جانا from a vector verb that adds completion or change of state.
• Next step: Passive Voice Variations and Nuances — develops formal, impersonal, inability, and stylistic uses in greater depth.