Understanding the Passive Voice in Armenian
In Armenian, just like in English, the passive voice is used when we want to focus on the action or the object that receives the action, rather than who is doing the action. This can be useful when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from the context.
Important Points
- The passive voice can be formed using 'լինել' (to be) or 'դառնալ' (to become).
- The main verb is used in its past participle form.
- The focus is on the action or the object, not the subject.
- It is often used when the doer of the action is unknown or not important.
Examples
- Գիրքը կարդացվել է ուսուցչի կողմից։ (The book was read by the teacher.)
- Երգը երգվել է հայտնի երգչի կողմից։ (The song was sung by a famous singer.)
- Խնձորը ուտվել է։ (The apple was eaten.)
When forming the passive voice in Armenian, it's important to remember that the structure changes to highlight the action or the receiver of the action, while the doer can be mentioned later or omitted entirely.
Examples
- Նամակը գրվել է։ (The letter was written.)
- Աշխատանքը ավարտվել է։ (The work was completed.)
- Խաղը սկսվել է։ (The game was started.)
By using the passive voice, we can easily shift the focus in a sentence from who is doing something to what is being done, which can be very useful in storytelling or when giving information.