Active & Passive Voice in Hindi

What is Voice in Hindi?

Voice (वाच्य) in Hindi indicates whether the subject of a sentence is performing the action or receiving it. Hindi has three types of voice:

• कर्तृवाच्य (Active Voice): The subject performs the action
• कर्मवाच्य (Passive Voice): The subject receives the action
• भाववाच्य (Impersonal Voice): Neither subject nor object is emphasized unique to Hindi

कर्तृवाच्य (Active Voice)

In active voice, the focus is on the doer of the action:

• राम ने पत्र लिखा। (Ram wrote a letter.)
• सीता फूल तोड़ती है। (Sita plucks flowers.)
• बच्चे क्रिकेट खेलते हैं। (Children play cricket.)
• माँ ने खाना बनाया। (Mother cooked food.)

कर्मवाच्य (Passive Voice)

In passive voice, the focus shifts to the object receiving the action. The verb changes to a passive form using "जाना" as an auxiliary:

• राम द्वारा पत्र लिखा गया। (The letter was written by Ram.)
• सीता द्वारा फूल तोड़े जाते हैं। (Flowers are plucked by Sita.)
• बच्चों द्वारा क्रिकेट खेला जाता है। (Cricket is played by children.)
• माँ द्वारा खाना बनाया गया। (Food was cooked by mother.)

Conversion Rules: Active to Passive

Step 1: Make the object the subject

Active: राम ने पत्र लिखा → Passive: पत्र ... लिखा गया

Step 2: Add "द्वारा" after the original subject

पत्र राम द्वारा लिखा गया

Step 3: Change the verb to passive form (add जाना)

• लिखा → लिखा गया (past)
• लिखता है → लिखा जाता है (present)
• लिखेगा → लिखा जाएगा (future)

Step 4: Verb agrees with the new subject (object of active)

• पत्र (masculine) → लिखा गया
• चिट्ठी (feminine) → लिखी गई
• पत्र (plural) → लिखे गए

Examples Across Tenses

Present Tense

• Active: राम पुस्तक पढ़ता है।
• Passive: राम द्वारा पुस्तक पढ़ी जाती है।

Past Tense

• Active: सीता ने गाना गाया।
• Passive: सीता द्वारा गाना गाया गया।

Future Tense

• Active: अध्यापक पाठ पढ़ाएँगे।
• Passive: अध्यापक द्वारा पाठ पढ़ाया जाएगा।

भाववाच्य (Impersonal Voice)

This is unique to Hindi it is used with intransitive verbs where neither subject nor object is emphasized:

• Active: राम चलता है। → भाववाच्य: राम से चला नहीं जाता। (Ram cannot walk.)
• Active: बच्चा रोता है। → भाववाच्य: बच्चे से रोया नहीं जाता।

भाववाच्य is used to express inability or general statements.

When to Use Passive Voice in Hindi

• When the doer is unknown: चोरी की गई। (A theft was committed.)
• Official/formal writing: सूचित किया जाता है कि... (It is informed that...)
• Rules and notices: यहाँ धूम्रपान करना मना है। → यहाँ धूम्रपान नहीं किया जाता।
• Emphasis on action, not doer: ताजमहल 1632 में बनाया गया था।

Common Mistakes

• Wrong verb agreement: "चिट्ठी लिखा गया" → Correct: "चिट्ठी लिखी गई" (feminine)
• Missing द्वारा: "राम पत्र लिखा गया" → Correct: "राम द्वारा पत्र लिखा गया"
• Overusing passive: Hindi prefers active voice. Use passive only when needed.

How Hindi Check Helps

Hindi Check detects voice-related errors including wrong verb forms in passive constructions, missing द्वारा, and incorrect gender/number agreement. It also suggests when passive voice might be unnecessarily complex and active voice would be clearer.

Conclusion

Understanding active and passive voice in Hindi is essential for formal writing, exam preparation, and professional communication. Remember the key rule: passive voice uses "द्वारा" for the agent and "जाना" as the auxiliary verb. Practice conversions regularly and use Hindi Check to verify your constructions.