La forme passive impersonnelle

In regular sentences, someone does something. Pierre eats an apple. The subject is Pierre. In the passive impersonal, the subject is empty. We use the word il as a placeholder. It is like a seat saver at a cinema. No one is sitting there. But the seat is taken. This il never changes. It is always masculine. It is always singular. It does not matter if the rule is for women. It does not matter if the rule is for groups. The grammar stays the same. You are describing an action that just "is". The action is the star of the show. The person doing it is backstage. This makes the sentence feel very objective. It feels like a law of nature. It is not my opinion. it is just the way it is. Think of it like a weather report. You say Il pleut. Who is raining? No one. It just rains. The passive impersonal is the same logic. It just "is" forbidden. It just "is" permitted. It is simple and elegant.

1. 1Creating this pattern is like building with Lego blocks. You follow three easy steps.
2. 2Start with the magic word il.
3. 3Add the verb être in the present tense. For A1, this is usually est.
4. 4Add a past participle. This is a verb like interdit or permis.
5. 5If you want to add an action, you need one more tiny word. Usually, this is de. For example: Il est interdit + de + fumer.
6. 6Sometimes, you use que if a full sentence follows. For example: Il est dit + que + le train est en retard.
7. 7Here is the basic formula:
8. 8Il + est + [Past Participle] + de + [Infinitive Verb].
9. 9It is like a math equation. It never changes its clothes. Even if you are talking about five people. Even if you are talking about your grandmother. You always use Il est. It is the most stable thing in French. Yes, even more stable than the price of baguettes. Just remember the de. Without de, the sentence falls apart. It is the glue that holds the blocks together.

When do you need to sound like a boss? Use this grammar. You will use it for official rules. Are you writing a sign for your office? Use Il est demandé de fermer la porte. Are you telling someone the law? Use Il est interdit de voler. It is also great for giving advice. Imagine a doctor talking to a patient. The doctor says Il est conseillé de boire de l'eau. It sounds professional. It sounds caring but firm. You use it in news reports too. "It is said that..." becomes Il est dit que.... It is perfect for sharing info without a source. It is the "I heard it through the grapevine" of grammar. Use it when the person does not matter. Use it when the rule is the focus. It is very common in written French. If you read a manual, you will see it. If you read a menu, you might see it. It is the backbone of formal communication. It makes you sound smart and polite.

Do not use this with your best friends at a bar. It will sound very strange. If you say Il est interdit de prendre ma bière, they will laugh. It is too formal for a party. Use Ne prends pas ma bière instead. Also, do not use it for personal feelings. If you like a movie, do not use this. Use C'est for opinions. C'est super is good. Il est super refers to a specific man. Il est dit que c'est super sounds like a movie critic on TV. Avoid it when you want to be warm. Avoid it when you want to be casual. It is a tool for structure. It is not a tool for friendship. Think of it like a tuxedo. You do not wear a tuxedo to the grocery store. You do not use impersonal passives to buy bread. Keep it for the right moments. Use it when you need a clear boundary. Use it when you are the teacher. Or when you are the polite stranger.

The biggest trap is the C'est vs Il est battle. Many people say C'est interdit de fumer. In casual French, people do this. But in a test, it is wrong. Use Il est for the formal rule. Another mistake is forgetting the de. You cannot say Il est interdit fumer. That sounds like a robot with a broken battery. You need that de to connect the ideas. Also, watch your spelling. The past participle must be masculine singular. Do not add an e or an s. Even if you mean "girls are forbidden". It is still Il est interdit. The il is the boss. The il dictates the spelling. Some people also try to use on. On est interdit does not work here. That means "We are forbidden". It changes the whole meaning. Stick to the formula. Il + est + [Word] + de. It is a safe path. Follow the path and you will be fine.

How is this different from the normal passive? In a normal passive, we know the object. "The cake is eaten by the boy." Le gâteau est mangé par le garçon. Here, the cake is the subject. In the impersonal passive, there is no cake. There is just the idea of eating. Il est interdit de manger. There is no "by someone". It is just a general truth. It is also different from the Il y a pattern. Il y a means "There is". It points to a thing. Il y a un chat. The impersonal passive points to an action. It points to a state. It is much more abstract. It is about concepts, not cats. Think of C'est as your "opinion button". Think of Il est [participle] as your "rule button". One is for feelings. One is for facts. Understanding this helps you choose the right vibe. Do you want to be a friend? Use C'est. Do you want to be a professional? Use Il est.