In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the main verb and is thus the agent.
[1] This contrasts with the passive voice, where the subject is the recipient of the action, such as in "The fish was eaten by the cat."
The use of both active and passive voices in languages enhances versatility in sentence construction, allowing either the semantic agent or patient to assume the syntactic role of the subject.
Below are examples demonstrating the active and passive voices with pairs of sentences using the same transitive verb across various languages.
DiehondhetdieposbodegebytDie hond het die posbode gebytThe dog bit the postal carrier.DieposbodeisdeurdiehondgebytDie posbode is deur die hond gebytThe postal carrier was bitten by the dog.DehondbeetdepostbezorgerDe hond beet de postbezorgerThe dog bit the postal carrier.DepostbezorgerwerdgebetendoordehondDe postbezorger werd gebeten door de hondThe postal carrier was bitten by the dog.عَضّ'adالكلبُalkalbuساعيsa'eyaالبريدalbareedعَضّ الكلبُ ساعي البريد'ad alkalbu sa'eya albareedThe dog bit the postal carrier.عُضّ'oudساعيsa'eyaالبريدalbareedبواسطةbiwasitatالكلبalkalbعُضّ ساعي البريد بواسطة الكلب'oud sa'eya albareed biwasitat alkalbThe postal carrier was bitten by the dog.LechienamordulefacteurLe chien a mordu le facteurThe dog bit the postal carrier.LefacteuraétémorduparlechienLe facteur a été mordu par le chienThe postal carrier was bitten by the dog.DerHundbissdenPostbotenDer Hund biss den PostbotenThe dog bit the postal carrier.DerPostbotewurdevomHundgebissenDer Postbote wurde vom Hund gebissenThe postal carrier was bitten by the dog.IlcanehamorsoilpostinoIl cane ha morso il postinoThe dog bit the postal carrier.IlpostinoèstatomorsodalcaneIl postino è stato morso dal caneThe postal carrier was bitten by the dog.CanisepistulāriummomorditCanis epistulārium momorditThe dog bit the postman.EpistulāriusacanemorsumeratEpistulārius a cane morsum eratThe postman was bitten by the dog.개가gaega우편집배원을upyeonjibbaewon-eul물었다mul-eossda개가 우편집배원을 물었다gaega upyeonjibbaewon-eul mul-eossdaA dog bit the postal carrier.우편집배원은upyeonjibbaewon-eun개에게gaeege물렸다mullyeossda우편집배원은 개에게 물렸다upyeonjibbaewon-eun gaeege mullyeossdaThe postal carrier was bitten by a dog.犬がInu-ga郵便yūbin配達員にhaitatsuin-niかんだ。kanda.犬が 郵便 配達員に かんだ。Inu-ga yūbin haitatsuin-ni kanda.A dog bit the mailman.郵便Yūbin配達員がhaitatsuin-ga犬にinu-ni噛まれた。kamareta.郵便 配達員が 犬に 噛まれた。Yūbin haitatsuin-ga inu-ni kamareta.The mailman was bitten by the dog.狗Gǒu咬了yǎole邮递员。yóudìyuán狗 咬了 邮递员。Gǒu yǎole yóudìyuánThe dog bit the postal carrier.邮递员Yóudìyuán被bèi狗gǒu咬了。yǎole邮递员 被 狗 咬了。Yóudìyuán bèi gǒu yǎoleThe postal carrier was bitten by the dog.Pesuhryzolpoštara.Pes uhryzol poštara.The dog bit the postal carrier.Poštárboluhryznutýpsom.Poštár bol uhryznutý psom.The postal carrier was bitten by the dog.PiesugryzłlistonoszaPies ugryzł listonoszaThe dog bit the postal carrier.ListonoszzostaługryzionyprzezpsaListonosz został ugryziony przez psaThe postal carrier was bitten by the dog.ElperromordióalcarteroEl perro mordió al carteroThe dog bit the postal carrier.ElcarterofuemordidoporelperroEl cartero fue mordido por el perroThe postal carrier was bitten by the dog.MbwaaliumatarishiMbwa aliuma tarishiThe dog bit the postal carrier.TarishialiumwanambwaTarishi aliumwa na mbwaThe postal carrier was bitten by the dog.HundenbetbrevbärarenHunden bet brevbärarenThe dog bit the postal carrier.BrevbärarenbetsavhundenBrevbäraren bets av hundenThe postal carrier was bitten by the dog.కుక్క'kukkaపోస్టల్postalక్యారియర్నిcarrierniకరిచిందిkarichindiకుక్క పోస్టల్ క్యారియర్ని కరిచింది'kukka postal carrierni karichindiThe dog bit the postal carrier.పోస్టల్postalక్యారియర్carrierకుక్కkukkaచేతchetaకరవబడిందిkaravabadindiపోస్టల్ క్యారియర్ కుక్క చేత కరవబడిందిpostal carrier kukka cheta karavabadindiThe postal carrier was bitten by the dog.หมาH̄māกัดkạdบุรุษburus̄ʹไปรษณีย์pịrs̄ʹṇīy̒หมา กัด บุรุษ ไปรษณีย์H̄mā kạd burus̄ʹ pịrs̄ʹṇīy̒The dog bit the postal carrier.บุรุษBurus̄ʹไปรษณีย์pịrs̄ʹṇīy̒ถูกt̄hūkหมาh̄māกัดkạdบุรุษ ไปรษณีย์ ถูก หมา กัดBurus̄ʹ pịrs̄ʹṇīy̒ t̄hūk h̄mā kạdThe postal carrier was bitten by the dog.ᜃᜒᜈᜄᜆ᜔Kinagatᜅ᜔ngᜀᜐᜓasoᜀᜅ᜔angᜃᜍ᜔ᜆᜒᜍᜓ.kartero.ᜃᜒᜈᜄᜆ᜔ ᜅ᜔ ᜀᜐᜓ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜃᜍ᜔ᜆᜒᜍᜓ.Kinagat ng aso ang kartero.The dog bit the postman.ᜈᜃᜄᜆ᜔Nakagatᜅ᜔ngᜀᜐᜓasoᜀᜅ᜔angᜃᜍ᜔ᜆᜒᜍᜓ.kartero.ᜈᜃᜄᜆ᜔ ᜅ᜔ ᜀᜐᜓ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜃᜍ᜔ᜆᜒᜍᜓ.Nakagat ng aso ang kartero.The postman was bitten by the dog.ᜄᜒᜉᜀᜃ᜔Gipaakᜐsaᜁᜍᜓiroᜀᜅ᜔angᜃᜍ᜔ᜆᜒᜍᜓ.kartero.ᜄᜒᜉᜀᜃ᜔ ᜐ ᜁᜍᜓ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜃᜍ᜔ᜆᜒᜍᜓ.Gipaak sa iro ang kartero.The dog bit the postman.ᜈᜉᜀᜃᜈ᜔Napaakanᜂᜄ᜔ogᜁᜍᜓiroᜀᜅ᜔angᜃᜍ᜔ᜆᜒᜍᜓ.kartero.ᜈᜉᜀᜃᜈ᜔ ᜂᜄ᜔ ᜁᜍᜓ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜃᜍ᜔ᜆᜒᜍᜓ.Napaakan og iro ang kartero.The postman was bitten by the dog.ᜃᜒᜈᜄᜆ᜔Kinagatᜆᜒtiᜀᜐᜓasoᜆᜒtiᜃᜍ᜔ᜆᜒᜍᜓ.kartero.ᜃᜒᜈᜄᜆ᜔ ᜆᜒ ᜀᜐᜓ ᜆᜒ ᜃᜍ᜔ᜆᜒᜍᜓ.Kinagat ti aso ti kartero.The dog bit the postman.ᜈᜃᜄᜆ᜔Nakagatᜆᜒtiᜀᜐᜓasoᜆᜒtiᜃᜍ᜔ᜆᜒᜍᜓ.kartero.ᜈᜃᜄᜆ᜔ ᜆᜒ ᜀᜐᜓ ᜆᜒ ᜃᜍ᜔ᜆᜒᜍᜓ.Nakagat ti aso ti kartero.The postman was bitten by the dog.