Introduction to the Passive Voice

Every sentence has a perspective. When you say Der Koch bereitet das Essen zu (The chef prepares the food), the chef is the centre of the sentence — the active agent, the one doing the work. But what if the chef is irrelevant? What if you are writing a restaurant review, a technical manual, a news report, or a scientific paper, and what matters is not who performed the action but what happened, what was produced, what was changed? This is precisely what the passive voice (das Passiv) does: it shifts the grammatical focus away from the person performing an action and onto the action itself, its result, or the object being acted upon. German has not one but two distinct passive constructions, each capturing a different aspect of reality. The Vorgangspassiv (process passive) describes an action in progress — something being done. The Zustandspassiv (state passive) describes the result of a completed action — the condition that exists afterwards. Mastering both, understanding when to use which, and knowing how to integrate modal verbs and work across all tenses will transform your German from functional to genuinely precise and professional.

Why the Passive Voice Matters

It is the language of formal and professional German: Scientific papers, technical documentation, legal texts, news reports, and business correspondence all rely heavily on the passive. Reading and producing these texts without a firm grasp of passive constructions is simply not possible at B2 level and above.
It allows you to omit the agent entirely: Sometimes the person performing an action is unknown, irrelevant, or deliberately unspecified. The passive makes this grammatically clean — Das Fenster wurde eingeschlagen (The window was smashed) without saying who smashed it.
The two passive types are not interchangeable: Die Tür wird geschlossen and die Tür ist geschlossen look similar but describe fundamentally different situations. Confusing them produces incorrect German in the same way confusing present and past tense would.
Modal verbs in the passive are essential: Expressions like "this must be done," "that cannot be changed," "everything should be prepared" — the everyday language of obligation, permission, and possibility in professional contexts — all require the combination of modal verbs with passive constructions.

Understanding the Passive Voice

The Vorgangspassiv — describing a process or action

The Vorgangspassiv is built with the auxiliary verb werden and the past participle (Partizip II) of the main verb. Werden is conjugated to match the subject and the tense; the past participle goes to the end of the clause. This construction describes something being done — an action that is in progress, that occurred, or that will occur.

Tense	Structure	Example	English
Present	Modal (pos. 2) + … + Partizip II + werden	Das Problem muss gelöst werden.	The problem must be solved.
Present	Modal (pos. 2) + … + Partizip II + werden	Der Bericht soll bis Freitag abgegeben werden.	The report is supposed to be handed in by Friday.
Present	Modal (pos. 2) + … + Partizip II + werden	Das Fenster darf nicht geöffnet werden.	The window must not be opened.
Simple past	Modal past (pos. 2) + … + Partizip II + werden	Der Termin konnte nicht verschoben werden.	The appointment could not be postponed.
Simple past	Modal past (pos. 2) + … + Partizip II + werden	Das Dokument musste neu ausgedruckt werden.	The document had to be printed again.
Perfect	haben (pos. 2) + … + Partizip II + werden + modal infinitive	Das Problem hat gelöst werden müssen.	The problem had to be solved.
Perfect	haben (pos. 2) + … + Partizip II + werden + modal infinitive	Der Brief hat abgeschickt werden sollen.	The letter was supposed to have been sent.
Subordinate clause — present	… + Partizip II + werden + modal (final)	Ich weiß, dass das Problem gelöst werden muss.	I know that the problem must be solved.
Subordinate clause — simple past	… + Partizip II + werden + modal past (final)	Er sagte, dass der Termin nicht verschoben werden konnte.	He said that the appointment could not be postponed.

The worden secret — why not geworden?

You already know that the past participle of werden is geworden — as in Er ist Arzt geworden (He became a doctor). In the Perfekt passive, however, the past participle of werden loses its ge- prefix and becomes simply worden. This is not an exception or an irregularity — it is a consistent rule. The ge- prefix is dropped because a past participle (Partizip II) already occupies the sentence, and having two ge- prefixes in one clause would be clumsy and redundant. So: Das Haus ist gebaut worden — never gebaut geworden.

Full conjugation of werden in the Vorgangspassiv

Because werden is the engine of the passive, controlling it across all persons is essential.

Person	Present	Simple past	Perfect auxiliary
ich	werde	wurde	bin … worden
du	wirst	wurdest	bist … worden
er/sie/es	wird	wurde	ist … worden
wir	werden	wurden	sind … worden
ihr	werdet	wurdet	seid … worden
sie/Sie	werden	wurden	sind … worden

The Zustandspassiv — describing a resulting state

The Zustandspassiv is built with sein and the past participle. It does not describe an action taking place — it describes the condition or state that exists as the result of a completed action. The action is finished; what remains is its outcome. This is a crucial distinction that changes the meaning of a sentence entirely.

Tense	Form of sein	Example	English
Present	ist / sind	Die Tür ist geschlossen.	The door is closed. (it is in a closed state)
Simple past	war / waren	Die Tür war geschlossen.	The door was closed. (it was in a closed state)
Perfect	ist … gewesen	Die Tür ist geschlossen gewesen.	The door has been closed.

Vorgangspassiv versus Zustandspassiv — the contrast in full

The distinction between these two passives is one of the most important in all of German grammar. The Vorgangspassiv captures a dynamic event; the Zustandspassiv captures a static condition. The same verb, the same noun — but the choice of auxiliary changes everything.

Vorgangspassiv (werden + Partizip II)	Zustandspassiv (sein + Partizip II)
Die Tür wird geschlossen. — Someone is (in the process of) closing the door right now.	Die Tür ist geschlossen. — The door is (already) closed; the closing has happened.
Das Formular wird ausgefüllt. — The form is being filled in.	Das Formular ist ausgefüllt. — The form is filled in; it is complete.
Das Geschäft wurde um 18 Uhr geschlossen. — The shop was closed at 6pm (someone closed it).	Das Geschäft war um 18 Uhr geschlossen. — The shop was closed at 6pm (it was in a closed state).
Die Brücke wird gebaut. — The bridge is being built (construction is underway).	Die Brücke ist gebaut. — The bridge is built (construction is finished).

Naming the agent — von versus durch

One of the advantages of the passive is that the agent — the person or thing performing the action — can be omitted entirely. When you do want to name the agent, German provides two prepositions with different functions. Von introduces a direct, personal agent — a person, an animal, an institution actively performing the action. Durch introduces an indirect cause or means — an instrument, a force, or an impersonal mechanism through which the action occurs.

Preposition	Used for	Case	Example	English
von	Personal, direct agent	Dative	Der Brief wurde von meiner Schwester geschrieben.	The letter was written by my sister.
von	Institution or organisation	Dative	Das Gesetz wurde von der Regierung verabschiedet.	The law was passed by the government.
durch	Means, instrument, mechanism	Accusative	Die Stadt wurde durch ein Erdbeben zerstört.	The city was destroyed by an earthquake.
durch	Impersonal cause or force	Accusative	Die Verbindung wurde durch einen Fehler unterbrochen.	The connection was interrupted by an error.

Modal verbs in the passive

Combining modal verbs with the passive is one of the most important and frequently used structures in professional and formal German. The modal verb is conjugated and sits in position two. The passive infinitive — Partizip II + werden — sits at the end of the clause. This is a fixed order and cannot be changed.

Tense	Structure	Example	English
Present	Modal (pos. 2) + … + Partizip II + werden	Das Problem muss gelöst werden.	The problem must be solved.
Present		Der Bericht soll bis Freitag abgegeben werden.	The report is supposed to be handed in by Friday.
Present		Das Fenster darf nicht geöffnet werden.	The window must not be opened.
Simple past	Modal past (pos. 2) + … + Partizip II + werden	Der Termin konnte nicht verschoben werden.	The appointment could not be postponed.
Simple past		Das Dokument musste neu ausgedruckt werden.	The document had to be printed again.
Perfect	hat/haben + … + Partizip II + werden + modal infinitive	Das Problem hat gelöst werden müssen.	The problem had to be solved.

The impersonal passive — es wird constructions

German also allows a passive construction with no specific subject at all — the impersonal passive. In this structure, the placeholder es fills the first position, or the sentence begins directly with the verb if another element takes position one. This construction is extremely common when describing activities in general — working, dancing, celebrating — without specifying who is doing them.

Structure	Example	English
Es wird + Partizip II	Es wird viel gearbeitet.	A lot of work is being done. / People work a lot.
Es wird + Partizip II	Hier wird nicht geraucht.	There is no smoking here. (No smoking.)
Other element in position 1 (no es)	Heute wird gefeiert!	Today we celebrate! / There will be celebrating today!
	In diesem Restaurant wird gut gekocht.	Good cooking is done in this restaurant.
With modal	Hier darf nicht geparkt werden.	Parking is not permitted here.

Passive in subordinate clauses — word order

In a subordinate clause, the finite verb moves to the end of the clause. In a passive construction, this means that werden (in the Vorgangspassiv) or sein (in the Zustandspassiv) travels to the very end, after the past participle.

Construction	Subordinate clause example	English
Vorgangspassiv present	…weil das Auto repariert wird.	…because the car is being repaired.
Vorgangspassiv simple past	…obwohl das Haus gebaut wurde.	…although the house was built.
Vorgangspassiv perfect	…dass das Formular ausgefüllt worden ist.	…that the form has been filled in.
Zustandspassiv	…weil die Tür geschlossen ist.	…because the door is closed.
Modal + passive	…dass das Problem gelöst werden muss.	…that the problem must be solved.

Transforming active sentences into passive — the full process

Converting an active sentence into a passive one involves a consistent set of steps. The Accusative object of the active sentence becomes the Nominative subject of the passive sentence. The original subject either disappears or reappears as a von phrase. The verb becomes werden + Partizip II.

Step	Active	Passive
Original	Der Mechaniker repariert das Auto.	—
Accusative → Nominative	das Auto (Accusative)	Das Auto (Nominative)
Verb → werden + Partizip II	repariert	wird repariert
Original subject → von phrase (optional)	Der Mechaniker	von dem Mechaniker (optional)
Result (without agent)	—	Das Auto wird repariert.
Result (with agent)	—	Das Auto wird von dem Mechaniker repariert.

Step-by-Step Guide to Building Passive Sentences

Decide which passive you need: Is something being done right now or at a particular time (process → Vorgangspassiv with werden)? Or are you describing the resulting condition after an action is complete (state → Zustandspassiv with sein)?
Identify the tense: Present, simple past, perfect, past perfect, or future? Conjugate werden or sein accordingly.
Form the past participle: Take the main verb and form its Partizip II — regular verbs add ge- … -t, strong verbs use ge- … -en with possible stem change.
Place the Partizip II at the end: In a main clause, the conjugated auxiliary goes to position two and the Partizip II goes to the very end. In a subordinate clause, both travel to the end, with the Partizip II before the auxiliary.
Add the agent if needed: If you want to name who performed the action, use von + Dative for a direct personal agent, or durch + Accusative for a means or cause.
Add a modal verb if needed: Place the conjugated modal in position two. The passive infinitive (Partizip II + werden) goes together at the end of the clause.
Check for Dative objects: If the active verb takes a Dative object — verbs like helfen, danken, gratulieren, schaden — that object stays in the Dative in the passive sentence and does not become the Nominative subject. The impersonal es or another element fills position one.

Pro Tip: The simplest test for which passive to use is to ask whether the sentence could have a von agent. If an agent — however vague — is at least imaginable, the Vorgangspassiv is appropriate. If the sentence describes a pure state with no imaginable agent at all — Das Geschäft ist geschlossen simply means it is currently shut — the Zustandspassiv is the right choice. A closed shop can look exactly the same whether someone just closed it or it has been closed for hours; the choice of passive tells the listener which you mean.

Memory Pattern: Think of the two passives as a photograph and a film clip. The Zustandspassiv is a still photograph — it shows the condition of something at a moment in time, with no indication of movement or process. The Vorgangspassiv is a film clip — something is happening, changing, being acted upon. When you want to show the action, use the film clip (werden). When you want to show the frozen result, use the photograph (sein).

Exceptions & Special Cases

Verbs that cannot form the Vorgangspassiv

Not every verb can be passivised. The Vorgangspassiv is only possible with transitive verbs — verbs that take a direct Accusative object. Verbs that do not take an Accusative object generally cannot be used in the Vorgangspassiv. This excludes most intransitive verbs, all reflexive-only verbs, and certain verbs of state.

Category	Verb	Why no Vorgangspassiv	Alternative
Intransitive (no Accusative object)	schlafen, liegen, stehen	No Accusative object to become the passive subject	Impersonal passive possible: Es wird geschlafen.
Reflexive-only	sich befinden, sich beeilen	Reflexive pronoun is not a true Accusative object	No passive form possible
Verbs of possession	haben, besitzen	Possession is a state, not an action	No passive form possible
Verbs of state/knowledge	wissen, kennen, wohnen	Describe states rather than active processes	No passive form possible

Dative verbs in the passive — the subject problem

When an active verb takes a Dative object — helfen (to help), danken (to thank), gratulieren (to congratulate), schaden (to harm), vertrauen (to trust) — that Dative object cannot become the Nominative subject of a passive sentence. Dative stays Dative. The result is an impersonal passive with either es or another sentence element in position one.

Active	Passive	English
Ich helfe dem Mann.	Dem Mann wird geholfen.	The man is being helped.
Wir danken dem Lehrer.	Dem Lehrer wird gedankt.	The teacher is being thanked.
Man schadet der Umwelt.	Der Umwelt wird geschadet.	The environment is being harmed.
Niemand hilft ihm.	Ihm wird nicht geholfen.	He is not being helped.

The passive with verbs that have both Accusative and Dative objects

When an active sentence has both a Dative and an Accusative object, only the Accusative object becomes the Nominative subject of the passive sentence. The Dative object remains in the Dative.

Active	Passive	English
Der Arzt gibt dem Patienten das Medikament.	Das Medikament wird dem Patienten gegeben.	The medicine is given to the patient.
Die Lehrerin erklärt den Schülern die Grammatik.	Die Grammatik wird den Schülern erklärt.	The grammar is explained to the students.
Er schreibt seiner Mutter einen Brief.	Ein Brief wird seiner Mutter geschrieben.	A letter is written to his mother.

The sein + Partizip II ambiguity

Because the Zustandspassiv uses sein + Partizip II, and many adjectives in German look identical to past participles, the same sentence can sometimes be read as either a Zustandspassiv or a simple predicate adjective. In most cases context resolves the ambiguity, but it is worth knowing the overlap exists.

Sentence	Zustandspassiv reading	Adjective reading
Die Tür ist geschlossen.	The door is in a closed state (as a result of being closed)	The door is closed (describing its property)
Er ist bekannt.	He has become known (made known by others)	He is well-known (a personal quality)
Das Paket ist beschädigt.	The package has been damaged (by something)	The package is damaged (its current condition)

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Das Haus wurde von einem Erdbeben zerstört.
- Fix: An earthquake is not a personal direct agent — it is a force of nature, an impersonal cause. Use durch + Accusative for causes and means, not von. Correct: Das Haus wurde durch ein Erdbeben zerstört.
Mistake 2: Das Auto ist repariert geworden.
- Fix: In the Perfekt passive, the past participle of werden drops the ge- prefix and becomes worden, not geworden. Geworden is used only when werden means "to become." Correct: Das Auto ist repariert worden.
Mistake 3: Der Mann wird geholfen. (attempting to passivise helfen)
- Fix: Helfen takes a Dative object, not an Accusative object. The Dative object cannot become the Nominative subject of the passive. Use the impersonal construction with the Dative retained. Correct: Dem Mann wird geholfen.
Mistake 4: Das Problem muss werden gelöst.
- Fix: In a modal + passive construction, the passive infinitive — Partizip II followed by werden — must sit together at the end of the clause. The modal verb occupies position two. Correct: Das Problem muss gelöst werden.
Mistake 5: Die Tür wird geschlossen seit einer Stunde.
- Fix: This sentence tries to describe an ongoing state using the Vorgangspassiv, but a state lasting since a point in time is not a process — it is a condition. Use the Zustandspassiv instead. Correct: Die Tür ist seit einer Stunde geschlossen.
Mistake 6: …weil das Problem wird gelöst.
- Fix: In a subordinate clause, the conjugated verb moves to the end — it does not stay in position two. In a passive subordinate clause, the auxiliary wird/wurde goes to the very end, after the Partizip II. Correct: …weil das Problem gelöst wird.
Nuance 1: Confusing werden as a passive auxiliary with werden as a full verb meaning "to become."
- Fix: Werden has three distinct roles in German: as a full verb meaning "to become" (Er wird Arzt), as the passive auxiliary (Das Haus wird gebaut), and as the Futur I auxiliary (Sie wird kommen). The context — and the presence or absence of a Partizip II — distinguishes them. In the passive, a Partizip II always follows. In Futur I, an infinitive follows. As a full verb, neither follows.
Nuance 2: Using the Vorgangspassiv where the Zustandspassiv is required because the speaker is describing a result, not a process.
- Fix: After a job is done, a door is shut, a form is completed — the relevant passive is the Zustandspassiv. Saying Das Formular wird ausgefüllt when you mean "the form is complete" implies someone is in the process of filling it in right now. If the work is done, use Das Formular ist ausgefüllt.

Pronunciation Guide

wird – VIRT – Das Auto wird repariert. — the w is English v; short i; final d devoices to t
wurde – VOOR-de – Das Haus wurde gebaut. — stress on first syllable; the u is a rounded back vowel
worden – VOR-den – Es ist repariert worden. — clearly distinct from geworden; no ge- prefix
geworden – ge-VOR-den – Er ist Arzt geworden. — note the ge- prefix present here but absent in the passive
repariert – re-pa-REERT – Das Auto wird repariert. — stress on the final syllable; the ie is a long vowel
gelöst – ge-LŒST – Das Problem muss gelöst werden. — the ö is a rounded front vowel; stress on second syllable
gebaut – ge-BOWT – Das Haus wurde gebaut. — the au diphthong sounds like English "ow" in "cow"

Cultural Insights

The passive in academic and scientific German: German academic writing relies on the passive far more heavily than English academic writing does. Where an English researcher might write "We conducted the experiment," a German researcher almost always writes Das Experiment wurde durchgeführt. This is not just stylistic convention — it reflects a cultural preference for presenting findings as objective facts rather than as personal actions. If you are studying or working in a German-speaking academic environment, passive constructions in formal writing are not optional.
Impersonal passive and authority: The impersonal passive — Hier wird nicht geraucht, Hier darf nicht geparkt werden — is the preferred register for rules, prohibitions, and instructions in public spaces. It is deliberately impersonal: nobody is being directly addressed, nobody is being accused. The prohibition exists as a fact of the environment. This indirectness is considered appropriate and professional in German institutional communication.
News language and the passive: German news reporting uses the passive extensively, particularly the simple past passive, to report events without attributing them to a specific agent until the facts are confirmed: Ein Mann wurde verhaftet (A man was arrested), Mehrere Personen wurden verletzt (Several people were injured). Reading German news media is one of the best ways to see this passive register in natural, contemporary use.
The Zustandspassiv in everyday descriptions: Unlike the Vorgangspassiv, which tends to appear in formal and written contexts, the Zustandspassiv is extremely common in everyday spoken German. Describing the state of a room, a vehicle, a piece of paperwork, or a relationship all naturally reach for sein + Partizip II: Das Bett ist gemacht, der Tisch ist gedeckt, die Rechnung ist bezahlt. This is not formal register — it is simply the natural way to describe how things currently stand.

Practice Scenarios

At the Workshop: Describing what is being done to a car or appliance, e.g., Das Auto wird gerade repariert. Die Bremsen wurden gestern ausgetauscht. Nächste Woche wird der Motor überprüft werden.
- Der Ölstand wurde kontrolliert und das Öl wurde gewechselt.
- Die Windschutzscheibe muss noch ersetzt werden.
- Das Fahrzeug ist jetzt vollständig gewartet.
In the Office: Discussing tasks, deadlines, and completed work, e.g., Der Bericht muss bis Freitag abgegeben werden. Die E-Mail ist bereits verschickt worden.
- Das Meeting wurde auf Donnerstag verschoben.
- Alle Dokumente sind unterschrieben.
- Der Vertrag soll heute noch geprüft werden.
News Report: Reporting events in an objective, impersonal register, e.g., Gestern Nacht wurde eine Bank in der Innenstadt ausgeraubt. Zwei Personen wurden festgenommen.
- Das Feuer wurde von der Feuerwehr gelöscht.
- Die Straße wurde wegen Bauarbeiten gesperrt.
- Mehrere Zeugen wurden befragt.
Around the House: Using the Zustandspassiv to describe the current state of things, e.g., Die Wohnung ist aufgeräumt, der Tisch ist gedeckt und das Essen ist fertig gekocht.
- Die Fenster sind alle geschlossen.
- Der Geschirrspüler ist noch nicht ausgeräumt.
- Das Bett ist gemacht und die Wäsche ist gewaschen.

Follow-Up Questions

What is the difference between the Vorgangspassiv and the Zustandspassiv?
- Example Answer: The Vorgangspassiv uses werden plus Partizip II and describes a process — something being done: Die Tür wird geschlossen, the door is being closed. The Zustandspassiv uses sein plus Partizip II and describes the resulting state — a condition that exists after the action is complete: Die Tür ist geschlossen, the door is closed (it is in a closed state). The same verb, the same noun, the same participle — but the choice of auxiliary tells you whether you are watching the action or looking at its aftermath.
When do I use von and when do I use durch to name the agent?
- Example Answer: Use von plus Dative for a direct, personal agent — a person, an animal, an organisation that actively performed the action: Das Lied wurde von Mozart komponiert. Use durch plus Accusative for an impersonal cause, a means, or an instrument through which the action occurred: Die Ernte wurde durch den Frost zerstört. A simple test: if the agent could be held responsible or praised, use von. If it is a force, mechanism, or tool, use durch.
Why does German use worden and not geworden in the Perfekt passive?
- Example Answer: The ge- prefix is dropped from werden when it functions as the passive auxiliary in the perfect tense. This is because the sentence already contains a past participle — the main verb's Partizip II — and having two ge- prefixes in the same clause would be awkward. So the rule is consistent: werden as a full verb meaning to become gives geworden; werden as a passive auxiliary gives worden. Compare: Er ist Arzt geworden (He became a doctor) versus Das Problem ist gelöst worden (The problem has been solved).
How do I passivise a verb that takes a Dative object?
- Example Answer: Verbs that only take a Dative object — like helfen, danken, gratulieren — cannot promote their Dative object to become the Nominative subject of a passive sentence. The Dative object stays in the Dative, and the passive uses an impersonal construction. So the active Ich helfe dem Kind becomes the passive Dem Kind wird geholfen. There is no Nominative subject in this sentence; dem Kind remains in the Dative throughout.
What is the word order when a modal verb is used with the passive in a subordinate clause?
- Example Answer: In a subordinate clause with a modal verb and a passive construction, the order at the end of the clause is: Partizip II — werden — modal verb. The modal verb, as the conjugated finite verb, goes to the very last position. For example: Ich weiß, dass das Problem gelöst werden muss. The sequence at the end is gelöst — werden — muss. This triple-verb ending is challenging but consistent across all modal verbs in this construction.

Conclusion

The passive voice is not a single grammatical structure in German — it is a system of two constructions that together give you complete control over how you frame actions and their results. The Vorgangspassiv puts the action itself in focus; the Zustandspassiv puts the resulting condition in focus. Both can be combined with modal verbs, both appear across all tenses, and both follow consistent rules that, once internalised, become second nature. The passive is also a cultural key: understanding it fully means being able to read German journalism, academic writing, legal texts, and official communications with genuine comprehension — and being able to produce formal written German that sounds natural and authoritative rather than translated. From here, the Konjunktiv II — the subjunctive — is the next major step, and it too relies on werden as a key auxiliary, building directly on the grammatical knowledge you have consolidated in this lesson.

Practice Makes Perfect

In the exercises below you will practise transforming active sentences into passive sentences across multiple tenses, choosing between the Vorgangspassiv and the Zustandspassiv in context, selecting von or durch for different types of agent, forming modal + passive constructions, handling Dative verbs in the passive, and placing passive constructions correctly inside subordinate clauses. Pay particular attention to the Dative verb constructions and the modal + passive word order — these are the two areas where even advanced learners make errors consistently.