Spanish · B1 · Family moment
Behind Project Doors in Spanish
This guide focuses on the preparations for school projects, highlighting the 'passive voice' to describe actions in progress where the focus is on the object rather than the person performing the action.
What you'll learn
- Understand the 'Pasiva con Ser' (ser + past participle).
- Distinguish between continuous passive actions (estar siendo + participle).
- Identify formal school project vocabulary.
Spanish phrases for behind project doors
Las mesas están siendo movidas al salón.
The tables are being moved into the hall.
Uses 'están siendo' to indicate a continuous process occurring right now.
El póster de tu clase está siendo impreso hoy.
Your class poster is being printed today.
'Impreso' is the irregular past participle of 'imprimir'.
Las maquetas están siendo revisadas antes de la exposición.
The models are being checked before the exhibition.
'Maqueta' is the specific term for a scale model or project mockup.
Se está grabando un video corto para la página web de la escuela.
A short video is being recorded for the school website.
This uses the 'pasiva refleja' (se + verb), which is very common in spoken Spanish.
Los padres están siendo invitados por correo electrónico.
The parents are being invited by email.
The preposition 'por' indicates the means or the agent in passive sentences.
Los resultados del proyecto están siendo presentados en grupos pequeños.
The project results are being presented in small groups.
'Resultados' is masculine, so 'presentados' must also be masculine plural.
El aula está siendo decorada para los visitantes.
The classroom is being decorated for the visitors.
Although 'aula' is feminine, it uses the article 'el' in the singular for phonetic reasons.
Los materiales están siendo clasificados en cajas.
The materials are being sorted into boxes.
'Clasificar' is a common verb for sorting or organizing school supplies.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
Maqueta
Scale model
Commonly used for school science or architecture projects.
Aula
Classroom
A more formal word than 'clase' or 'salón'.
Exposición
Exhibition / Presentation
Refers to the event where the projects are shown.
Correo electrónico
Often shortened to 'correo' in daily conversation.
The Present Process Passive
In Spanish, to express that something 'is being done' (process passive), we combine 'estar' + 'siendo' + the past participle. The participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular Feminine | está siendo + -ada | La sala está siendo preparada. |
| Plural Masculine | están siendo + -ados | Los libros están siendo leídos. |
Passive vs. Future
Do not confuse this with the future tense. While some languages use similar auxiliary verbs for both, Spanish uses 'ser' or 'estar' for passive and specific endings (e.g., -ará, -erá) for the future.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Process Passive | está siendo + participle | La puerta está siendo pintada (is being painted). |
| Future Active | verbo + -á/-án | El pintor pintará la puerta (will paint). |
More examples
¿Están siendo ayudados los niños por los maestros?
Are the children being helped by the teachers?
A passive question structure.
Todo está siendo organizado con mucho cuidado.
Everything is being organized with great care.
'Todo' is treated as masculine singular.