passive
adj
1 not active; submissive 被動的; 消極的
play a passive role in a marriage 在婚姻中扮演被動的角色
passive obedience, acceptance 消極的服從、 接受
passive smoking, ie breathing in fumes from tobacco being smoked by others 被動吸煙(吸進(jìn)他人噴出的煙).
2 showing no interest, initiative or forceful qualities 冷淡的; 不主動的
a passive audience 無精打采的聽眾
He had a passive expression on his face. 他臉上有一種漠然的表情.
3 of the form of a verb used when the grammatical subject is affected by the action of the verb, as in Her leg was broken and He was bitten by a dog 被動的, 被動語態(tài)的(如Her leg was broken和He was bitten by a dog兩句中的動詞形式)
a passive sentence 被動句. Cf 參看 active. passive, n [sing]
(also ,passive `voice) (grammar) passive(3) form of a verb (phrase) or sentence 動詞被動形式; 被動句; 被動語態(tài)
In the sentence `He was seen there', `was seen' is in the passive. 在 He was seen there 句中的 was seen 是被動形式. Cf 參看 active voice (active).