Vachya (वाच्यम्)

The essentials

वाच्यम् (voice) shows which element of the sentence the verb agrees with. Sanskrit has three voices:

• कर्तृवाच्यम् (active): the doer is in प्रथमा, the object in द्वितीया, and the verb agrees with the doer in पुरुष and वचन — रामः ग्रन्थं पठति.
• कर्मवाच्यम् (passive, for transitive verbs): the doer goes into तृतीया, the object into प्रथमा, and the verb agrees with the object — रामेण ग्रन्थः पठ्यते.
• भाववाच्यम् (impersonal, for intransitive verbs): there is no object; the doer is in तृतीया and the verb is always प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन — बालकेन हस्यते (the child laughs).

Key points

• Passive and impersonal verbs add यक् (य) to the root and always take आत्मनेपद endings: पठ्यते, गम्यते, क्रियते (कृ), दीयते (दा), पीयते (पा), स्थीयते (स्था), दृश्यते (दृश्), श्रूयते (श्रु), हस्यते, सुप्यते (स्वप्).
• In कर्मवाच्य the verb follows the object's person and number: मया पुस्तकानि पठ्यन्ते; त्वया अहं दृश्ये (I am seen by you).
• Pronoun subjects change: अहम् → मया, आवाम् → आवाभ्याम्, वयम् → अस्माभिः, त्वम् → त्वया, यूयम् → युष्माभिः, सः → तेन, सा → तया.
• With क्त (past participle) the passive is common: रामेण ग्रन्थः पठितः; सीतया लता दृष्टा (the participle agrees in gender too).

Exam tips

• Check whether the verb has an object. If yes, convert to कर्मवाच्य; if no, use भाववाच्य with a singular third-person verb.
• Questions often ask you to fill in the right verb form, so practise the passive forms of common roots.

Common mistakes

• Using parasmaipada endings in passive (पठ्यति ✗) — passive verbs are always ātmanepada (पठ्यते).
• Making the verb plural in भाववाच्य because the doer is plural; अस्माभिः हस्यते is correct.