Spanish · B1 · Family moment
Changes Around Us in Spanish
This guide helps parents discuss ongoing school improvements with their children, using the Spanish 'process passive' to describe actions currently in progress without needing to specify who is doing them.
What you'll learn
- Use the passive voice with 'estar + siendo + participio' to describe ongoing actions.
- Learn school-related vocabulary regarding maintenance and facilities.
- Distinguish between a finished state and a process in progress.
Spanish phrases for changes around us
La puerta de la escuela está siendo reparada hoy.
The school gate is being repaired today.
Uses 'está siendo' to indicate a process currently happening.
Tu aula está siendo pintada esta semana.
Your classroom is being painted this week.
'Aula' is feminine but uses 'el' or 'tu' to avoid double 'a' sounds; however, the adjective 'pintada' remains feminine.
Los pupitres están siendo movidos a otra habitación.
The desks are being moved into another room.
'Pupitre' specifically refers to a student desk.
Se están instalando ganchos nuevos para vuestras mochilas.
New hooks are being fitted for your school bags.
Uses the 'pasiva refleja' (se + third person plural), a very common alternative to the passive voice.
El patio está siendo limpiado después de las obras.
The playground is being cleaned after the building work.
'Obras' is the common term for construction or building work.
Los libros de la biblioteca están siendo ordenados esta mañana.
The library books are being sorted this morning.
'Ordenados' implies organized or put in order.
El material deportivo está siendo revisado antes de vuestra sesión del club.
The sports equipment is being checked before your club session.
'Material deportivo' is a collective noun for equipment.
El nuevo paso de cebra está siendo marcado frente al colegio.
The new crossing is being marked outside the school.
'Paso de cebra' is the literal term for a zebra crossing.
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
Obras
Construction / Building work
Commonly used in the plural when referring to renovations.
Pupitre
Student desk
Different from 'escritorio' (office desk) or 'mesa' (table).
Paso de cebra
Crosswalk / Zebra crossing
Used for the pedestrian crossing markings.
Ganchos / Perchas
Hooks / Hangers
In a school context, these are used for coats and bags.
The Progressive Passive Voice
To express that something 'is being done' (a process), Spanish uses the auxiliary 'estar', followed by the gerund of 'ser' (siendo), and finally the past participle. The participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular (Masculine) | está siendo + -ado/-ido | El suelo está siendo fregado. |
| Plural (Feminine) | están siendo + -adas/-idas | Las ventanas están siendo limpiadas. |
Passive Reflexive (Pasiva Refleja)
For a more natural-sounding alternative in Spanish, use 'se' followed by the verb in the third person. This is often preferred over the formal passive when the agent is unknown or unimportant.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | Se + verb (3rd person sing.) | Se repara la valla. (The fence is being repaired.) |
| Plural | Se + verb (3rd person plural) | Se pintan las paredes. (The walls are being painted.) |
More examples
¿Por qué hay tanto ruido? El tejado está siendo arreglado.
Why is there so much noise? The roof is being fixed.
Focuses on the ongoing action of fixing.
Las luces están siendo cambiadas por bombillas LED.
The lights are being changed for LED bulbs.
Indicates a transition process.