italiano · B1 · grammar · 4 minutes
Passive si
Use si + third-person verb to express general or passive meaning without naming an actor.
Understand the choice
Si structures are central in notices, instructions, and general statements. Identify whether a following noun is the passive subject so the verb can agree with it.
Core rule: With passive si, the verb agrees with the grammatical subject: si vende una casa, si vendono case; impersonal si stays singular with intransitives.
Notice it in context
In questa biblioteca si prestano libri e riviste.
Books and magazines are lent in this library.
Libri e riviste form plural passive subject, so prestano is plural.
Qui si parla italiano.
Italian is spoken here.
With language as object/general activity, singular parla is standard.
Si vendono appartamenti arredati.
Furnished apartments are for sale.
Plural appartamenti triggers vendono and arredati agrees.
What to remember
- Before si, reflexive si may become ci to avoid repetition in constructions such as ci si alza.
- The ordinary passive with essere is clearer when an agent must be named.
Common trap: Do not keep a singular verb before an obvious plural passive subject: si vendono case.