Passive Voice In German- How to Form and How to Use It

Passive voice (das Passiv) is a grammatical construction that shifts the focus from who is doing an action to what is being done. In other words, the object of an active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. This construction is widely used in German, especially in formal writing, news reports, scientific texts, and polite or impersonal statements. By mastering the passive voice, you can emphasise results over agents and vary your expressions in German. This guide will cover how to form the passive in different tenses, when to use it (and when not to), the difference between process passive and state passive, how to handle the passive with modal verbs, and some alternative structures.

Passive voice in German

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Understanding the passive voice is a crucial aspect of mastering German grammar, typically introduced at A2-B1 levels. The passive voice shifts the focus from the agent (the one performing the action) to the action itself. In this comprehensive post, we'll explore how to form and use the passive voice in German.

What is the Passive Voice in German?

In an active voice sentence, the subject performs an action on an object. In a passive voice sentence, the focus is on the action or the object receiving the action; the performer (agent) may be omitted or mentioned later with a preposition. Compare these examples:

• Active: Der Lehrer erklärt die Grammatik. – (The teacher explains the grammar.)

• Passive: Die Grammatik wird vom Lehrer erklärt. – (The grammar is explained by the teacher.)

In the active sentence, der Lehrer (the teacher) is the subject doing the explaining, and die Grammatik (the grammar) is the object. In the passive version, die Grammatik becomes the subject of the sentence, and the doer can be added with von (by) as vom Lehrer (by the teacher) or omitted if it's not important. The core idea is that passive voice highlights the action or result rather than the actor.

When to Use the Passive Voice

German uses the passive voice in various situations, especially when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or implied. Here are common contexts for using passive structures, with examples:

• Unknown or Irrelevant Doer: Use passive if who did something is unknown or doesn’t matter.

  • Die Fenster wurden gestern repariert. – “The windows were repaired yesterday.” (We don’t know or care who repaired them, only that the action happened.)

  • Mein Fahrrad wurde gestohlen. – “My bicycle was stolen.” (The thief is unknown, so the focus is on the stolen bike.)

• Formal, Objective Tone: Passive voice often appears in news, academic, or formal language to sound impersonal and objective.

  • Es wird viel geforscht. – “A lot of research is being done.” (Impersonal statement; literally “It is being researched a lot.”)

  • Die Ergebnisse werden nächste Woche veröffentlicht. – “The results will be published next week.” (Focus on what will happen, not who will do it.)

• Instructions/Rules or Polite Expressions: The passive can make commands and rules sound more polite or generalised.

  • Hier wird nicht geraucht. – “No smoking here.” (Literally, “Here is not smoked.” There is no specific subject, which sounds more polite or formal than an active command.)

  • Es wird um Ruhe gebeten. – “Silence is requested.” (Common in formal notices, avoiding a direct command like “Be quiet.”)

In summary, use the passive when the agent (doer) is not important to mention, or you want to emphasise the action or outcome itself. This often makes statements sound more formal or neutral.

Passive Voice at Different Learning Levels

The passive voice is introduced gradually as you progress in learning German. Different exam levels focus on different aspects of the passive:

• Basic Level: You should know the basics of forming the passive in the present tense and perfect tense, as well as recognise the simple past passive. For example, be able to transform “Man schreibt den Brief.” to “Der Brief wird geschrieben.” (present passive) or “Der Brief ist geschrieben worden.” (present perfect passive). Key elements are the use of werden + participle for present, and sein + participle + worden for the perfect. More complex tenses (future, pluperfect) or subjunctive passive forms are usually not required at this level.

• Intermediate: You’ll be expected to use the passive in all common tenses (present, Präteritum past, perfect, future, etc.) and also handle passive constructions with modal verbs (e.g. “Die Tür muss geöffnet werden.” – The door must be opened.). You should also understand the two types of passive – Vorgangspassiv (action/process passive) vs. Zustandspassiv (state passive) – though most exercises will involve the action passive. Recognition of the subjunctive passive (e.g. “Es würde gemacht werden.” for “it would be done”) might be expected for reading comprehension, but actively producing the subjunctive passive is usually not a core requirement at this stage.

• Advanced: At advanced levels, you should master all aspects of the passive voice, including nuanced uses. This means understanding the Zustandspassiv thoroughly (e.g. “Die Tür ist geöffnet” meaning “The door is open” as a state), forming the passive in less common tenses (future II, subjunctive Konjunktiv II for hypotheticals), and knowing alternative expressions to avoid overusing passive (such as using “man”, reflexive constructions, or “sein + zu + Infinitiv” structures). Advanced learners should also develop a stylistic sense of when to use the passive for a formal tone and when an active construction might sound more natural.

(Don’t worry if terms like Vorgangspassiv or Zustandspassiv sound intimidating – we’ll explain them below.)

Vorgangspassiv vs. Zustandspassiv (Process vs. State Passive)

German has two kinds of passive voice constructions, which serve different purposes:

• Vorgangspassiv (Process Passive): This is the usual passive voice that emphasises the action or process. It is formed with the auxiliary werden (conjugated for tense) + past participle of the main verb. It answers the question “What is happening (to the subject)?” or “What happened?”.

  • Beispiel: Der Brief wird geschrieben. – The letter is being written. (Focus on the ongoing action of writing.)

  • Beispiel: Der Brief wurde geschrieben. – The letter was written. (Focus on the action/event in the past.)

• Zustandspassiv (State Passive): This form describes a state or condition that is the result of a completed action. It is formed with sein (conjugated) + past participle (and worden in certain tenses – see below). It answers the question “In what condition/state is the subject (after an action)?”.

  • Beispiel: Der Brief ist geschrieben. – The letter is written. (Focus on the state after writing; i.e. the letter is now in a “written” state, implying someone has written it.)

  • Beispiel: Die Aufgabe war schon erledigt. – The task was already done (already in a completed state).

The process passive corresponds to the English passive with “to be” (is written, was written, etc.), while the state passive often corresponds to “to be” plus an adjective (is open, was done) or a form like “has been done” depending on context. A handy way to distinguish them: Vorgangspassiv focuses on the process, and Zustandspassiv focuses on the resulting state. For example:

• Die Tür wird geöffnet. – The door is being opened (process; someone is opening it right now).

• Die Tür ist geöffnet. – The door is open (state; it has been opened and stands open now).

In German, the Vorgangspassiv (werden-passive) is much more commonly used in everyday communication. The Zustandspassiv (sein-passive) is more of a nuance to describe conditions and is often interchangeable with using the participle as an adjective. For instance, “Die Tür ist geschlossen” can simply be understood as “The door is closed” (an adjective-like description of the door’s state).

Learner tip: At A2/B1 level, you will mostly use werden to form the passive. You should recognise sein + Participle sentences as describing a state, but you won’t often be required to produce Zustandspassiv sentences in exams. At advanced levels, understanding the distinction helps – e.g., “Das Problem ist gelöst” (the problem is solved – state) versus “Das Problem wird gelöst” (the problem is being solved – action in progress).

Forming the Passive Voice (Vorgangspassiv) in Different Tenses

The process passive is formed with werden as the auxiliary verb and the Partizip II (past participle) of the main verb. The form of werden changes according to the tense (present, past, etc.), while the participle stays at the end of the clause. Below is how to form the Vorgangspassiv in the most common tenses, with examples:

• Present Tense (Präsens): werden (present tense) + [Participle]

  • Ein neues Haus wird gebaut. – A new house is being built.

  • Die Fenster werden geputzt. – The windows are being cleaned.(Notice: English uses “to be” + participle (“is built”), but German uses werden.)

• Simple Past / Preterite (Präteritum): werden (preterite: wurde/wurden) + [Participle]

  • Ein neues Haus wurde gebaut. – A new house was built.

  • Die Fenster wurden geputzt. – The windows were cleaned.(Here wurde(n) is the simple past of werden.)

• Present Perfect (Perfekt): sein (present: ist/sind) + [Participle] + worden

  • Ein neues Haus ist gebaut worden. – A new house has been built.

  • Die Fenster sind geputzt worden. – The windows have been cleaned.(Note the structure: ist/sind (present of sein) + participle + worden. Worden (not geworden) is used for the passive perfect. This worden indicates the completion of a passive action. Do not confuse it with geworden, which is used with werden meaning “to become”.)

• Past Perfect (Plusquamperfekt): sein (past: war/waren) + [Participle] + worden

  • Ein neues Haus war gebaut worden. – A new house had been built.

  • Die Fenster waren geputzt worden. – The windows had been cleaned.(This is the “past of the past,” used when narrating events in the past that had already happened earlier. Form it just like the perfect, but use the past tense of sein (war/waren).)

• Future I (Futur I): werden (future: wird/werden + infinitive werden) + [Participle]

  • Ein neues Haus wird gebaut werden. – A new house will be built.

  • Die Fenster werden geputzt werden. – The windows will be cleaned.*(Yes, werden appears twice: the first wird/werden marks the future tense, and the second werden at the end is the infinitive auxiliary for the passive. In practice, Germans often use the present tense + a time indicator instead of the future, but this construction is grammatically correct for clarity.)

• Future II (Future Perfect Passive) [rare]: werden (future) + [Participle] + worden + sein

  • Ein neues Haus wird gebaut worden sein. – A new house will have been built.

  • (This is uncommon in everyday use, but formally it indicates that something will be completed in the future. You likely won’t need this often, but for completeness: wird... sein around gebaut worden. It’s a bit heavy and often avoided in favor of simpler phrasing.)

In the table below, you will find sample sentences for each of the German tenses in the active and two forms of the passive voice where "VP" refers to the "Vorgangspassiv" and "ZP" indicates "Zustandspassiv" (state passive).

Summary of Passive Auxiliaries: In the present, past, and future tenses, use forms of werden to build the passive. In the perfect and pluperfect tenses, use forms of sein and add worden after the participle. No matter the tense, the main verb is always in its past participle form (ge- form for regular verbs, or the correct irregular participle).

Also remember that in a passive sentence, the original direct object (accusative) becomes the new subject (nominative). Any original subject (the “doer”) can be introduced with von or left out entirely. Other cases (dative, genitive) remain in their original case. For example:

• Active: Jemand gab dem Mann ein Buch. (Here dem Mann is a dative object, meaning "to the man".)

• Passive: Dem Mann wurde ein Buch gegeben. – The man was given a book. (Literally: To the man, a book was given.)Note: dem Mann stays in the dative case in the passive sentence as well; it did not turn into a nominative subject. The original subject “Jemand” (someone) is omitted here.

If an active sentence has no direct object (for instance, verbs that take only a dative or are intransitive), you cannot create a normal passive with a real subject. In these cases, German uses an “impersonal passive” construction with a dummy subject es (or leaves the subject implicit – more on that later). For example, “Sie half mir” (She helped me) has no accusative object, only mir (dative). The passive can be “Mir wurde geholfen.” (Literally: To me, it was helped), which means “I was helped.” Here, mir remains dative; grammatically, there is an implicit es as the subject, and the verb is in 3rd person singular (wurde). You could also say “Es wurde mir geholfen.” — both forms are used. The key point is that mir (dative) did not become ich – in German, you cannot say “Ich wurde geholfen” (that’s incorrect). We’ll discuss impersonal passives more below.

How to Convert an Active Sentence to Passive

When turning an active sentence into passive, follow these general steps:

1. Identify the subject, verb, and object in the active sentence.

   • Example: Der Lehrer erklärt die Grammatik. (Subject: der Lehrer, Verb: erklärt, Object: die Grammatik.)

2. Move the object into the subject position (i.e., make the original object the new subject of the sentence, in the nominative case).

   • Our example object die Grammatik (feminine accusative) becomes die Grammatik in nominative (feminine nominative looks the same as accusative in this case).

3. Conjugate “werden” in the appropriate tense and put it after the new subject (remember German word order: the verb (werden) typically sits in the second position of a main clause).

   • For present tense, die Grammatik (3rd person singular) requires wird. So: Die Grammatik wird ...

4. Use the past participle of the main verb and place it at the end of the clause.

   • The verb erklären has the participle erklärt. Now we have: Die Grammatik wird erklärt.

5. Add a “von + actor” phrase if needed to specify who did it, or omit it if it’s not necessary.

   • To include “by the teacher,” use von: Die Grammatik wird vom Lehrer erklärt. (“vom” is the contraction of von dem Lehrer). If we don’t need to mention the teacher, we can just say Die Grammatik wird erklärt.

Following these steps, “Der Lehrer erklärt die Grammatik” became “Die Grammatik wird (von dem Lehrer) erklärt.” 🎉

Let’s try another example to solidify this process:

• Active: Jemand hat das Fenster geöffnet. (Someone opened the window.)

  • Object = das Fenster. Move it to front: Das Fenster ...

  • Tense = present perfect (hat geöffnet). The passive perfect uses ist ... worden.

  • Participle of öffnen is geöffnet.

  • So we get: Das Fenster ist geöffnet worden. – The window has been opened.

  • If needed, “by someone” could be von jemandem, but usually if it’s just “someone,” we omit the agent: Das Fenster ist geöffnet worden. implies “(by someone)” already.

• Active: Die Firma baut ein neues Haus. (The company is building a new house.)

  • Object = ein neues Haus (neuter accusative). As subject it becomes ein neues Haus (neuter nominative – looks the same).

  • Tense = present. Passive uses wird + participle.

  • Participle of bauen is gebaut.

  • Agent = die Firma (the company), if we want to mention it.

  • Passive: Ein neues Haus wird von der Firma gebaut. – A new house is being built by the company.

Word Order Reminder: In German main clauses, the conjugated verb (here, the form of werden) stays in the second position. Any von/Durch/mit phrase (agent or instrument) usually comes after the verb or towards the end, just before the participle. For example, “Ein neues Haus wird von der Firma gebaut.” has wird in position 2, and von der Firma later in the sentence.

Key Points to Remember (Passive Formation)

• Auxiliary werden is key: It carries the tense in process passive sentences. Use the correct form of werden for present (wird), past (wurde), future (wird ... werden), etc. In the perfect/pluperfect tenses, use the correct form of sein and include worden after the participle (remember: ist ... geworden is NOT passive, it means “has become” – the passive needs ist ... worden).

• Past Participle at the end: The main verb always appears as Partizip II at the end of the clause (in a subordinate clause, it comes before the final verb if there’s a modal or something, but that’s another detail). E.g., wird geschrieben, wurde gemacht, ist gebaut worden.

• Use von for the agent (doer) when needed: If you want to specify who performed the action in a passive sentence, introduce them with von + Dative case. For example, “Das Lied wurde von der Band gesungen.” – The song was sung by the band. If the agent is not a person but a thing or force, consider using durch or mit (explained next).

• Only transitive verbs form standard passive: Not every active sentence can turn passive. Generally, only verbs that can take an accusative object (transitive verbs) make a direct passive. If there’s no direct object (e.g. schlafen – to sleep), you can’t have a normal passive sentence focusing on an object. In cases of verbs without objects, German uses an impersonal passive (“es wird geschlafen” – literally “it is slept” – to mean “people/one sleeps”). Similarly, for verbs with only dative objects, use impersonal passive (Es wird mir geholfen). We’ll elaborate on these impersonal constructions later.

Now that we’ve covered how to form the passive, let’s look more closely at using von, durch, and mit to mention agents and instruments in passive sentences.

Using von, durch, and mit in Passive Constructions

In English passive sentences, we use “by” to indicate the doer of the action (agent) and sometimes “with” for instruments. German has three prepositions that commonly appear in passive voice contexts, each with a specific role:

• von (+ Dative) – means “by (someone/something)” as an agent. Use von to specify who performed the action (particularly for people or concrete actors).

• durch (+ Accusative) – means “through/by means of”. Use durch for an impersonal cause or means by which something happened (often forces of nature, processes, or circumstances rather than a person directly).

• mit (+ Dative) – means “with (a tool/instrument)”. Use mit to specify the instrument or tool used to do something.

Here are guidelines and examples for each:

Using von (by someone)

von is the standard way to introduce the agent (the doer) in a passive sentence. It’s most appropriate for people, animals, or even organisations – any entity that actively carries out the action.

• Der Brief wurde von dem Lehrer geschrieben. – The letter was written by the teacher.

• Das Haus wird von der Firma gebaut. – The house is being built by the company.

• Die Symphonie wurde von Mozart komponiert. – The symphony was composed by Mozart.

Grammar: von is always followed by the Dative case (note: von dem contracts to vom). In the examples: von dem Lehrer → vom Lehrer; von der Firma stays separate (no contraction).

Use von whenever the passive agent is a person or a defined actor that you want to name. It answers “By whom?” (German: Von wem?).

Using durch (by means of something)

durch is used for the means, cause, or indirect agent of an action – often something non-human that causes or accomplishes the action. It translates often as “by” in the sense of “by means of” or “through”.

• Das Fenster wurde durch den Wind geöffnet. – The window was opened by the wind. (The wind caused it, not an intentional person)

• Die Daten werden durch ein Computerprogramm analysiert. – The data are being analyzed by a computer program. (Means: a program is doing the analysis)

• Das Gebäude wurde durch ein Erdbeben zerstört. – The building was destroyed by an earthquake. (Cause: earthquake)

Use durch when the focus is on the cause, force, or method rather than an actual person or institution. Common uses include natural forces (weather, etc.), processes (durch Zufall – by chance), or any scenario where “through” or “via” conveys the meaning. For instance, “durch Explosion zerstört” means “destroyed by an explosion.”

Grammar: durch is followed by the Accusative case (durch den Wind, durch ein Erdbeben, etc.).

Using mit (with an instrument)

mit indicates the instrument, tool, or means with which an action is carried out, rather than by whom.

• Der Brief wird mit einem Stift geschrieben. – The letter is written with a pen.

• Die Tür wurde mit einem Schlüssel geöffnet. – The door was opened with a key.

• Das Bild wurde mit einem Pinsel gemalt. – The painting was painted with a brush.

Think of mit answering the question “Womit?” – “With what (instrument)?”. Use mit when mentioning the tool, material, or instrument used to do something, if that’s the detail you want to highlight. For example, “geschnitten mit einem Messer” (cut with a knife).

Grammar: mit is followed by the Dative case (mit einem Stift, mit einem Schlüssel, etc.).

Quick Comparison

• von + Dative – agent/doer: Das Essen wurde von meiner Oma gekocht. (by my grandma)

• durch + Accusative – impersonal cause/means: Die Wiese wurde durch den Regen überflutet. (flooded by the rain)

• mit + Dative – tool/instrument: Das Brot wurde mit einem scharfen Messer geschnitten. (cut with a sharp knife)

In most passive sentences about people or specific agents, von will be your go-to. If the “actor” isn’t a thinking entity (like wind, fire, an algorithm), durch often fits better. And if you’re mentioning a tool used by someone, mit is appropriate.

(Note: In English, we often default to “by” in all these cases, but German differentiates between an agent (von), a cause (durch), and an instrument (mit).)

Passive Voice with Modal Verbs

Forming the passive with modal verbs (müssen, können, sollen, dürfen, wollen, etc.) is a bit different from regular passive sentences because modals change the word order. In active voice with a modal, you’d say for example: “Man muss die Tür schließen” (One must close the door). In the passive, this becomes: “Die Tür muss geschlossen werden.” – The door must be closed.

General Formula (Passive + Modal): Modal (conjugated) + [Participle] + werden (infinitive) The modal verb takes the normal position and conjugation, the main verb becomes a participle as usual, and werden moves to the end as an infinitive.

So for present tense modals in passive:

• Man soll die Regeln beachten. → Die Regeln sollen beachtet werden. – The rules should be observed.

• Man kann das Problem lösen. → Das Problem kann gelöst werden. – The problem can be solved.

• Man darf die Türen nicht öffnen. → Die Türen dürfen nicht geöffnet werden. – The doors may not be opened (are not allowed to be opened).

For simple past (Präteritum) modals:

• Man musste den Bericht schreiben. → Der Bericht musste geschrieben werden. – The report had to be written.

• Man konnte das Geheimnis lösen. → Das Geheimnis konnte gelöst werden. – The secret could be solved (was able to be solved).

For perfect tense with modals, German often avoids this because it sounds clunky, but it exists:

• Man hat das Problem lösen müssen. (Active perfect: “One has had to solve the problem.”)Passive → Das Problem hat gelöst werden müssen. – The problem has had to be solved.

  (It’s often clearer to just use simple past: Das Problem musste gelöst werden = The problem had to be solved. Stacking hat ... werden müssen is grammatically correct but heavy.)

• Man hat die Türen schließen dürfen. (One has been allowed to close the doors.)Passive → Die Türen haben geschlossen werden dürfen. – The doors have been allowed to be closed.(Again, one might rephrase to avoid this construction in practice.)

And for future with modal:

• Man wird das Problem lösen müssen. → Das Problem wird gelöst werden müssen. – The problem will have to be solved.

• Man wird den Vertrag unterschreiben können. → Der Vertrag wird unterschrieben werden können. – The contract will be able to be signed.

Notice that in all these cases, werden in the passive becomes an infinitive at the end (because the modal rules force two infinitives at the end: [Participle]+werden is treated like “[something] to be [done]”).

Common Mistake: Don’t forget to include werden at the end! A typical error is to place werden immediately after the modal as in an active sentence. For example:

• Incorrect: ❌ Die Aufgabe muss werden gemacht.

• Correct: ✅ Die Aufgabe muss gemacht werden.

Another mistake is using sein instead of werden in these constructions:

• Incorrect: ❌ Der Film könnte gesehen sein werden. (Too many auxiliaries and sein doesn’t belong here)

• Correct: ✅ Der Film könnte gesehen werden. – The film could be seen (would be able to be seen).

When using modals:

• Conjugate the modal (muss, sollte, kann, etc.) to match the subject and tense.

• Use the participle of the main verb.

• Kick werden (infinitive) to the end of the clause.

Examples summary:

• Man muss das Auto reparieren. → Das Auto muss repariert werden. – The car must be repaired.

• Man sollte den Fehler korrigieren. → Der Fehler sollte korrigiert werden. – The mistake should be corrected.

• Man darf die Tür nicht offen lassen. → Die Tür darf nicht offen gelassen werden. – The door must not be left open.(Here “offen gelassen” is the participle of the separable verb offen lassen, meaning “leave open.”)

As you can see, passive with modals is manageable once you remember that werden slides to the end. At GCSE/A-level, the most common ones you’ll use are present or past (e.g. muss/soll gemacht werden, musste gemacht werden). Perfect/passive combinations with modals are rare in exercises.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Passive Constructions

Learning the passive voice involves juggling word order and auxiliary verbs. Here are some common errors learners make, and how to fix them:

• Forgetting werden at the end (in passive with modals): As mentioned, when a modal verb is in the mix, werden must be the last element.

  • ❌ Die Arbeit muss erledigt. (incorrect – missing werden)

  • ✅ Die Arbeit muss erledigt werden. – The work must be done.

• Using sein instead of werden for process passive: Remember, sein + participle is a state (or the perfect tense passive with worden). If you mean an ongoing or general passive, use werden.

  • ❌ Die Regeln sind geändert (if you mean “The rules are being changed”).

  • ✅ Die Regeln werden geändert. – The rules are (being) changed.(Using sind geändert would imply the rules are in a changed state, or would be incomplete without worden.)

• Mixing up word order in subordinate clauses: In subordinate clauses (introduced by dass, weil, etc.), the passive structure changes order slightly: the participle comes right before the final verb. For example: Ich weiß, dass die Tür geschlossen werden muss. (I know that the door must be closed.) Here, werden must stay at the end. Just be aware of normal German word order rules.

• Double werden confusion: In future passive or passive subjunctive, you might see two forms of werden. E.g., “Es wird gemacht werden.” This is correct (first wird for future, second werden for passive infinitive). It’s not a mistake, but it looks odd – remember that’s intentional and required.

• Passive vs active meaning change: Sometimes using passive can subtly change emphasis or clarity. E.g., “Die Tür öffnet sich.” vs “Die Tür wird geöffnet.” The first (reflexive active) means “The door opens (by itself or unspecified agent)” and the second means “The door is being opened (by someone).” Make sure you choose the structure that conveys what you intend.

If in doubt, check examples or simpler sentences. With practice, you’ll internalise where werden goes and which auxiliary to use.

The Passive Voice in Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) [Advanced]

For completeness, you should know that German can also form passive constructions in the subjunctive mood (Konjunktiv II), which is used for hypotheticals, polite requests, or conjectures. This is an advanced topic, but a quick overview:

• Present Hypothetical: Use the structure würde + [Participle] + werden. This is like saying “would be done/seen/etc.”

  • Das Problem würde gelöst werden, wenn wir mehr Zeit hätten. – The problem would be solved if we had more time.

  • Die Regeln würden geändert werden, falls nötig. – The rules would be changed if necessary.

  This form is often equivalent to using könnte or müsste in some contexts, but würde + werden is the general way to form a passive conditional.

• Past Hypothetical: Use wäre + [Participle] + worden to say “would have been done/solved/etc.”

  • Das Problem wäre gelöst worden, wenn wir mehr Zeit gehabt hätten. – The problem would have been solved if we had had more time.

  • Das Hotel wäre renoviert worden, wenn genug Geld da gewesen wäre. – The hotel would have been renovated if there had been enough money.

• Polite requests or formal statements: Konjunktiv II passive can appear in official contexts, for example: “Es würde begrüßt werden, wenn Sie pünktlich erscheinen könnten.” – “It would be appreciated if you could arrive on time.” Here würde begrüßt werden (“would be welcomed”) is a polite passive phrasing.

In everyday speech, Germans often avoid the subjunctive passive by using alternative phrasing. For example, instead of “Das Problem würde gelöst werden,” one might say “Man würde das Problem lösen” (One would solve the problem). Using “man würde…” or modal verbs in Konjunktiv II (müsste, sollte, könnte) often feels more natural.

However, it’s good to recognise constructions like “würde gelöst werden” or “wäre gelöst worden” as meaning “would be solved” / “would have been solved.” They appear in formal writing or reports. Unless you’re at an advanced level, you won’t be required to produce many of these forms, but at C1/C2 level it’s useful to be comfortable with them.

Passive Voice without an Explicit Subject (Impersonal Passive)

German frequently uses passive sentences without mentioning any subject at all. In English, we sometimes do this with generic “it” or in phrases like “there is…”. In German, you’ll often see passive constructions starting with “es wird...” or with no subject, especially in descriptions of general activity, news, or instructions. This is known as the impersonal passive (unpersönliches Passiv).

• Es wird viel gearbeitet. – “A lot of work is being done.” (Literally: It is being worked a lot. No specific subject performing the work.)

• Hier wird Deutsch gesprochen. – “German is spoken here.” (Literally: Here is German spoken.)

• Über die neue Reform wird viel diskutiert. – “The new reform is being discussed a lot.” (Literally: Over the new reform is much discussed.)

In these examples, either an “es” is used as a placeholder subject (especially if the sentence might otherwise start with the verb), or the sentence begins with another element (like Hier or Über die neue Reform), and then “wird [Participle]” follows. If something other than es is in the first position, you typically drop the es. For instance, Es wird hier nicht geraucht (It is not smoked here) can also be Hier wird nicht geraucht.

Use the impersonal passive when:

• The doer is unknown or irrelevant: Die Straße wird repariert. – The street is being repaired (we don’t specify by whom, likely city workers).

• You want to make a general statement or rule without pointing at anyone: In diesem Restaurant wird gut gegessen. – One eats well in this restaurant (literally: Here is well eaten. Meaning the food is good here, without saying who eats).

• In official instructions or signs: Hier wird nicht geraucht. – No smoking here (lit. “Here is not smoked.”). This sounds more impersonal than “Raucht hier nicht!”, which would be a direct command.

Dative-only verbs: As discussed earlier, verbs like helfen that don’t take an accusative can use this impersonal passive. For example:

• Mir wird geholfen. – I am being helped (lit. “To me, it is helped.”). There’s no true subject in the sentence; grammatically, an implicit es is the subject and mir remains dative. We interpret it as passive in English. Similarly, “Uns wurde gesagt...” (We were told..., lit. “to us it was said”). If needed, you can include es: Es wird mir geholfen is also correct, but when mir (or any element) is fronted, es drops out.

A quirky rule: even if the dative object is plural, the verb stays singular in these impersonal passives because the understood subject is still es. E.g., Den Leuten wird geholfen (People are being helped) – wird is singular.

In summary, impersonal passive allows German to say things like “It is being X-ed” without a concrete subject. English often translates these with “they” or passive voice as well (e.g., Es wird gesagt – “It is said/They say...”). This construction keeps the tone formal or general.

Alternatives to the Passive (Avoiding Passive Voice)

While the passive voice is useful, using it too often can make your writing sound heavy or unclear. In everyday German, native speakers sometimes prefer active constructions or other turns of phrase to avoid an overload of werden. Here are some common alternatives:

• Use “man” as a subject: Man is an indefinite pronoun meaning “one/people/they” and is a very handy way to express a general statement in active voice.

  • Passive: Hier wird Deutsch gesprochen. – German is spoken here.Active alternative: Man spricht hier Deutsch. – People/they speak German here.

  • Passive: Es wird viel über Politik diskutiert. – A lot is being discussed about politics.Active: Man diskutiert viel über Politik. – People discuss politics a lot. Using man often translates the same idea as an impersonal passive, but in an active structure.

• Use Reflexive verbs: Some actions can be expressed in a reflexive form that implies a passive meaning. The reflexive pronoun sich indicates the action is sort of happening to itself or in general.

  • Die Tür öffnet sich. – The door opens (itself). – (This can imply the door is opening without saying who opens it, similar to a passive meaning.)

  • Das Problem löst sich. – The problem solves itself/is resolving. (Instead of wird gelöst.)

  • Es tanzt sich hier leicht. – It is easy to dance here. (Literally: It dances itself easily here – meaning people find dancing easy here, without specifying “people”.)

  • Die Tickets lassen sich online kaufen. – The tickets can be bought online. (Literally: The tickets let themselves be bought online – a common reflexive construction to mean “are buyable”.)

  Not every verb has a reflexive alternative that makes sense, but many do. This is a very natural way in German to avoid a passive. If you learn that “sich verkaufen” means “to sell (well)” or “sich finden” means “to be found”, you’ll see how reflexive structures sometimes take on a passive-like meaning.

• Use “sein + zu + Infinitive”: This construction often translates to “to be done/ to be [verb]-ed” and conveys necessity or possibility in a more static way. It’s like saying something “is to be done” meaning it must/can be done.

  • Die Aufgabe ist zu erledigen. – The task is to be completed (i.e. the task must be completed; implies a necessity without saying who must do it).

  • Das Problem ist nicht zu lösen. – The problem is not solvable (cannot be solved).

  • Diese Regeln sind zu beachten. – These rules are to be observed (should be observed).

  This often replaces a modal passive: “Die Aufgabe muss erledigt werden” could be “Die Aufgabe ist zu erledigen.” It’s a bit formal or bookish, but you’ll see it in instructions and written notices. (Grammar note: sein is conjugated for tense, and the main verb is an infinitive at the end. It’s technically not a passive voice, but an alternative that avoids werden.)

• Use “lassen” (to have something done): Sometimes you can rephrase a passive by saying that someone lets/has it done. For example, instead of “Mein Auto wurde repariert” (my car was repaired), you might say “Ich habe mein Auto reparieren lassen.” – I had my car repaired (I arranged for it to be repaired).

  • Wir lassen die Fenster putzen. – We are having the windows cleaned. (instead of Die Fenster werden geputzt – the windows are being cleaned.)

  • Er ließ sich operieren. – He had surgery (he let himself be operated on, instead of a passive “he was operated on”).

  This lassen construction puts the subject as the one who initiates the action (by allowing or commissioning it), which can sometimes be clearer or more natural in storytelling.

• Active phrasing: Sometimes the simplest way to avoid a passive is to just reword to active if the subject is known or can be generally stated. Instead of “Der Film wurde gestern gesehen.” (The film was seen yesterday), say “Wir haben den Film gestern gesehen.” (We watched the film yesterday) if you know who did it, or “Das Publikum hat den Film gestern gesehen.” (The audience saw the film yesterday). Active voice is often more engaging and clear about who did what.

In summary, while passive voice is a crucial part of German (and you should learn to use it, especially in formal contexts or when appropriate), judicious use of the above alternatives will make your language sound more natural and dynamic when a passive isn’t necessary.

For instance, in spoken German, you’ll hear man all the time where English might use a passive: “Wie sagt man ...?” – “How does one say ...?” (instead of passive “How is ... said?”). Getting comfortable with these structures will give you flexibility in expressing yourself.

Summary: Key Takeaways on German Passive

• Passive Formation (Vorgangspassiv): Use werden + Participle to form the passive in present, past, and future tenses. In the perfect and pluperfect, use sein + Participle + worden. Example: Das Buch wird geschrieben (The book is being written); Das Buch ist geschrieben worden (The book has been written).

• When to Use Passive: Use it when who did the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context, or when you want a formal/impersonal tone. It’s common in news reports, academic writing, instructions, and polite requests. E.g., Es wird um Aufmerksamkeit gebeten. – Attention is requested (please pay attention).

• Active vs Passive Focus: Active voice emphasises the subject/agent; passive voice emphasises the action or the object. Der Koch bereitet das Essen zu vs Das Essen wird zubereitet (The cook prepares the food vs The food is being prepared).

• Vorgangspassiv vs Zustandspassiv: The process passive with werden highlights an action in progress or happening (Was wird gemacht? What is being done?), while the state passive with sein describes a result or state (Was ist getan? What is done/has been done (already)?). E.g., Die Tür wird geöffnet (is being opened) vs Die Tür ist geöffnet (is open/has been opened).

• Agents with von/durch/mit:

  • Use von (+ Dative) for agents (doers): Der Brief wurde von meiner Mutter geschrieben. (by my mother).

  • Use durch (+ Accusative) for impersonal causes or means: Die Stadt wurde durch ein Erdbeben zerstört. (destroyed by an earthquake).

  • Use mit (+ Dative) for instruments/tools: Der Teig wurde mit einem Mixer verrührt. (mixed with a mixer).

• Passive with Modals: Structure: Modal + Participle + werden. E.g., Die Aufgabe muss gemacht werden (The task must be done). Remember to put werden at the end and conjugate the modal. In past: musste gemacht werden (had to be done). Avoid mistakes like muss werden gemacht (wrong order).

• Impersonal Passive: You can use passive without a clear subject. Es is used as a placeholder if needed. E.g., Es wurde getanzt – There was dancing (lit. it was danced). Hier wird gearbeitet – Work is being done here (no need to say who). For verbs with no direct object, use es or just the passive form: Uns wurde geholfen – We were helped (lit. to us was helped).

• Avoiding Passive: Don’t overuse passive voice. German often prefers:

  • man: Man feiert den Geburtstag. instead of Es wird Geburtstag gefeiert.

  • Reflexive: Das Problem löst sich. instead of Das Problem wird gelöst.

  • sein + zu: Die Sache ist zu klären. instead of Die Sache muss geklärt werden.

  • Active voice: If the agent matters, just say it actively (Die Regierung erhöhte die Steuern rather than Die Steuern wurden erhöht if you want to emphasise it was the government).

Mastering the passive voice in German will greatly enhance your comprehension and expression, especially in written and formal contexts. Remember to practice transforming active sentences to passive and vice versa to get comfortable with the structure. Pay attention to word order (keep that participle at the end!) and the use of werden.

Lastly, the passive is just one tool in your German toolkit. Use it when it serves your purpose, but don’t be afraid to use active constructions or the handy little word “man” to keep your sentences clear and natural when appropriate.

Viel Erfolg beim Lernen! (Good luck with your learning!) Keep practising these forms, and soon they will feel much more intuitive. If you want more practice, try taking some active sentences from a news article or your textbook and turning them into passive, or check out exercises in German grammar books and online resources.

Need extra help? Consider working with a tutor or joining a class to reinforce these concepts. At Olesen Tuition, we offer German classes for all levels, intensive courses, personalised 1:1 lessons, and exam preparation sessions to help you master topics like the passive voice and beyond. With the right guidance and practice, you’ll be using German passive constructions confidently in no time!

Feel free to explore more grammar topics and enhance your German proficiency on our blog "Auf Deutsch, bitte!" — your go-to resource for German language learning. You'll find posts on everything ranging from adjective endings in German, the four German cases, pronouns in German to German syntax. However, we also discuss topics on the language as a whole, such as how many words there are in the German language, and if German is difficult to learn.

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