Spanish · B2 · Family moment
Entering a competition anonymously in Spanish
Encourage your child's creativity and help them navigate anonymous competitions. This guide focuses on using the passive infinitive in Spanish to express hopes and expectations regarding fair judging.
What you'll learn
- Express hopes and fears using passive infinitive constructions
- Discuss anonymous entries and competition rounds
- Master the agreement of past participles in passive structures
Spanish phrases for entering a competition anonymously
Espero ser juzgado por mi historia, no por mi edad.
I hope to be judged on my story, not my age.
Uses 'ser juzgado' as the passive infinitive.
¿Esperas ser preseleccionado con este final?
Do you expect to be shortlisted with this ending?
'Preseleccionado' means shortlisted.
Me preocupa ser reconocido por mi letra.
I'm worried about being recognised by my handwriting.
Note that 'letra' is commonly used for handwriting.
Mereces ser tomado en serio como escritor.
You deserve to be taken seriously as a writer.
Use 'tomada' if the child is female.
Me encantaría ser invitado a la ronda final.
I'd love to be invited to the final round.
Conditionals like 'encantaría' work well with passive infinitives.
No espero ser elegido de inmediato.
I don't expect to be chosen straight away.
'De inmediato' translates to 'straight away' or 'immediately'.
¿Tienes miedo de ser comparado con niños mayores?
Are you afraid of being compared with older children?
'Tener miedo de' requires an infinitive (ser) when the subject is the same.
Me alegra ser incluido, incluso sin ganar.
I'm pleased to be included, even without winning.
Passive infinitives can follow emotional triggers like 'me alegra'.
Hear these phrases and practise them
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Try it free for 7 daysKey words
Anónimo
Anonymous
Used for entries where the name is hidden.
El jurado
The jury / The judges
A collective noun for the group judging the competition.
La caligrafía
Handwriting
A more formal term than 'letra'.
La obra
The work (piece of art/writing)
Refers to the child's actual entry.
Passive Infinitive Complements
In Spanish, passive infinitive complements are formed using 'ser' + Participle (e.g., 'ser visto'). These are used after verbs like 'esperar' (to hope/expect), 'merecer' (to deserve), or 'temer' (to fear) when the subject of the main verb undergoes the action of the second verb. Crucially, the participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine Singular | ser juzgado | Él espera ser juzgado justamente. |
| Feminine Singular | ser juzgada | Ella merece ser juzgada por su talento. |
| Plural | ser juzgados/as | Ellos no quieren ser juzgados todavía. |
More examples
Él tiene miedo de ser evaluado por extraños.
He is afraid of being evaluated by strangers.
Matches 'miedo de' + passive infinitive.
Tu trabajo merece ser premiado.
Your work deserves to be rewarded.
'Premiar' means to reward or give a prize.
Ella espera no ser identificada por el jurado.
She hopes not to be identified by the judges.
Demonstrates the negative placement before the infinitive.