Spanish · B1 · Family moment
Your Photo Choices in Spanish
This guide focuses on discussing photo privacy and permissions with your child. You will learn how to express what 'must', 'can', or 'may' be done with images using the passive voice combined with modal verbs.
What you'll learn
- Form the passive voice using modal verbs (poder, deber, tener que).
- Understand past participle agreement with the subject in gender and number.
- Learn vocabulary related to digital privacy and school settings.
Spanish phrases for your photo choices
Tu foto solo puede ser compartida con nuestro permiso.
Your photo may only be shared with our permission.
Uses 'puede ser' + feminine singular participle 'compartida'.
¿Puede ser mostrada esta foto a tus abuelos?
May this picture be shown to your grandparents?
'Mostrada' agrees with the feminine singular 'foto'.
Tu nombre no debe ser impreso debajo de la foto de la clase.
Your name must not be printed under the class photo.
'Impreso' is the irregular past participle of 'imprimir'.
Esta foto puede ser guardada en nuestro álbum familiar.
This picture can be kept in our family album.
'Guardada' means kept or saved.
Las fotos no deben ser tomadas en el vestuario.
Photos must not be taken in the changing room.
Uses plural feminine agreement: 'deben ser tomadas'.
La foto debe ser borrada si retiramos nuestro permiso.
The photo must be deleted if we withdraw our permission.
'Borrada' comes from the verb 'borrar' (to delete/erase).
¿Puede ser ocultada tu cara antes de que se comparta la foto del equipo?
Can your face be hidden before the team photo is shared?
'Ocultada' agrees with 'tu cara' (feminine singular).
Tu foto no tiene que ser exhibida en el pasillo del colegio.
Your picture does not have to be displayed in the school hall.
'No tiene que ser' expresses a lack of obligation.
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
Permiso
Permission
A common noun used when discussing consent.
Vestuario
Changing room / Locker room
A setting where photo privacy is particularly important.
Borrar
To delete
Used for both digital files and physical markings.
Compartir
To share
Frequently used in the context of social media and files.
Modal Verbs + Passive Voice
To describe actions being done to a subject (e.g., 'must be shared'), Spanish uses a Modal Verb + 'ser' + Past Participle. Crucially, the participle must match the subject in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural).
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Can be shared (fem. sing.) | puede ser compartida | La imagen puede ser compartida. |
| Must be printed (masc. sing.) | debe ser impreso | El archivo debe ser impreso. |
| Must not be taken (fem. plur.) | no deben ser tomadas | Las fotos no deben ser tomadas. |
More examples
El permiso puede ser retirado en cualquier momento.
Permission can be withdrawn at any time.
Retirado agrees with the masculine noun 'permiso'.
¿Tienen que ser publicadas estas imágenes?
Do these images have to be published?
Uses 'tener que' in the passive form for obligation.