Das Passiv: When the Action is the Star of the Show

In most of the sentences we speak every day, the focus is on who is doing the action.

• Der Mechaniker repariert das Auto. (The mechanic is repairing the car.)

This is called an Aktivsatz (Active Sentence). The subject (the mechanic) is the star of the show.

But what if you don't know who is repairing the car? Or what if you just don't care? What if the most important piece of information is simply that the car is being fixed?

This is where you need Das Passiv (The Passive Voice).

• Das Auto wird repariert. (The car is being repaired.)

In the passive voice, the original subject (the mechanic) is completely removed from the sentence, and the object (the car) takes the spotlight. It becomes the new subject!

Mastering the passive voice is crucial for understanding German news, reading official documents, and sounding highly proficient in your B1/B2 exams. Let's learn the formula.

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The Formula: Werden + Partizip II

To build a passive sentence in German, you need two components:

1. The helping verb werden (to become / to get), conjugated to match the new subject.
2. The Partizip II (the ge- form) of the main verb, placed at the absolute end of the sentence.

Let's look at how to conjugate werden in the present tense:

• ich werde
• du wirst
• er/sie/es wird
• wir werden
• ihr werdet
• sie/Sie werden

Step-by-Step Transformation

Let's transform an active sentence into a passive sentence.

Active: Der Koch kocht die Suppe. (The chef cooks the soup.)

• Subject: Der Koch (Nominativ)
• Verb: kocht
• Object: die Suppe (Akkusativ)

Step 1: The Object Becomes the New Subject. Take the Akkusativ object ("die Suppe") and move it to the front. It is now the Nominativ subject of our new sentence!

• -> Die Suppe...

Step 2: Add "werden". Conjugate werden to match the new subject ("Die Suppe" is singular, so it acts like sie/es).

• -> Die Suppe wird...

Step 3: Kick the Main Verb to the End as Partizip II. Take the original verb ("kocht"), turn it into its Partizip II form ("gekocht"), and kick it to the very end of the sentence.

• -> Die Suppe wird gekocht. (The soup is being cooked.)

That's it! The chef has disappeared, and the soup is now the star of the sentence.

More Present Tense Examples:

• Aktiv: Viele Menschen lesen das Buch. (Many people read the book.)

• Passiv: Das Buch wird gelesen. (The book is being read.)

• Aktiv: Wir bauen ein neues Haus. (We are building a new house.)

• Passiv: Ein neues Haus wird gebaut. (A new house is being built.)

• Aktiv: Der Lehrer prüft die Studenten. (The teacher tests the students.)

• Passiv: Die Studenten werden geprüft. (The students are being tested - notice werden is plural here to match "die Studenten"!)

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Bringing the Subject Back: Von vs. Durch

Sometimes, you want to use the passive voice to focus on the action, but you still want to mention who did it.

You can re-introduce the original "doer" of the action using a preposition. In German, you have two choices: von or durch.

1. Von + Dativ (The Agent)

Use von when the action is being done by an active, living being (a person, an animal, or an active institution like the police).

• Das Auto wird von dem Mechaniker repariert. (The car is repaired by the mechanic.)
• Die Maus wird von der Katze gefressen. (The mouse is eaten by the cat.)
• Das Museum wird von dem Bürgermeister eröffnet. (The museum is opened by the mayor.)

2. Durch + Akkusativ (The Instrument / Medium)

Use durch when the action is caused by an inanimate object, a natural force, or a process. It translates closer to "through" or "by means of".

• Die Stadt wird durch den Sturm zerstört. (The city is destroyed by the storm.)
• Die Krankheit wird durch Bakterien übertragen. (The disease is transmitted by bacteria.)

Rule of Thumb: If the doer has a brain and can make decisions, use von. If it is a force of nature or a tool, use durch.

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The Passive Voice in the Past Tense

So far, we have only looked at the present tense (wird repariert). But what if the car was repaired yesterday?

The passive voice can be formed in every tense. To change the tense of a passive sentence, you ONLY change the helping verb (werden). The Partizip II at the end of the sentence NEVER changes!

Das Präteritum Passiv (Written Past)

To build the Präteritum Passiv, you use the Präteritum forms of werden: wurden.

• ich wurde
• du wurdest
• er/sie/es wurde
• wir wurden
• ihr wurdet
• sie/Sie wurden

Examples:

• Present: Das Haus wird gebaut. (The house is being built.)

• Past: Das Haus wurde im Jahr 1990 gebaut. (The house was built in the year 1990.)

• Present: Die Fenster werden geputzt. (The windows are being cleaned.)

• Past: Die Fenster wurden gestern geputzt. (The windows were cleaned yesterday.)

Note: In spoken German, native speakers very frequently use the Präteritum Passiv (wurde gebaut) instead of the Perfekt Passiv, simply because it is shorter and easier to say!

Das Perfekt Passiv (Spoken Past)

The Perfekt Passiv is a bit of a monster. It requires three verbs! You need: sein (conjugated) + Partizip II + worden.

Wait, worden? Yes. In the Perfekt Passiv, the past participle of werden is shortened from geworden to just worden to avoid having two "ge-" words next to each other.

Formula: Subject + ist/sind + [Middle] + Partizip II + worden.

Examples:

• Present: Das Auto wird repariert.

• Perfekt Passiv: Das Auto ist gestern repariert worden. (The car has been repaired yesterday.)

• Present: Die Rechnungen werden bezahlt.

• Perfekt Passiv: Die Rechnungen sind schon bezahlt worden. (The bills have already been paid.)

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Modal Verbs in the Passive Voice

What if you want to say "The car must be repaired"? You combine a modal verb (müssen) with the passive voice.

This structure is extremely common in German workplaces and formal instructions.

Formula: Subject + Modal Verb (conjugated) + [Middle] + Partizip II + werden (infinitive).

Because the modal verb takes Position 2, it kicks the entire passive structure (repariert werden) to the absolute end of the sentence.

Examples:

• Das Auto muss heute repariert werden. (The car must be repaired today.)
• Die Hausaufgaben sollen bis morgen gemacht werden. (The homework should be done by tomorrow.)
• Der Rasen kann am Sonntag nicht gemäht werden. (The lawn cannot be mowed on Sunday.)

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Summary Checklist and Mental Algorithm

Building a passive sentence requires a bit of mental restructuring. Use this algorithm:

1. Identify the Object: What is the thing receiving the action? Move it to Position 1. It is your new Nominativ subject!
2. Choose the Tense:
   • Present: Use wird / werden.
   • Past (Präteritum): Use wurde / wurden.
3. Match the Subject: Ensure your helping verb (wird or werden) matches whether your new subject is singular or plural!
4. Kick the Action Verb: Take the main action verb, turn it into its Partizip II form (e.g., gekauft, gemacht, geschrieben), and stick it at the very end of the sentence.
5. Add the Doer (Optional): If you really need to mention who did it, insert von + Dativ (for people/animals) or durch + Akkusativ (for nature/tools) in the middle of the sentence.

Mini-Quiz

Try transforming these active sentences into passive sentences (in the present tense).

1. Der Arzt untersucht den Patienten. (The doctor examines the patient.)
2. Wir schreiben viele E-Mails. (We write many emails.)
3. Der Sturm zerstört das Dach. (The storm destroys the roof. - Hint: Use "durch" to bring the storm back in!)

Answers:

1. Der Patient wird (von dem Arzt) untersucht. (Singular subject -> wird)
2. Viele E-Mails werden geschrieben. (Plural subject -> werden)
3. Das Dach wird durch den Sturm zerstört.

Mastering the passive voice takes the pressure off you to always name a subject. It allows you to speak abstractly and professionally. Practice looking for werden + Partizip II in German news articles—you'll see it everywhere!