Passive Voice (Passiv)
The passive (Passiv) shifts the focus from who does something to what is done. German has two kinds: the Vorgangspassiv (process passive) with werden + Partizip II describes an action happening (Das Haus wird gebaut — the house is being built), and the Zustandspassiv (state passive) with sein + Partizip II describes the resulting state (Die Tür ist geschlossen — the door is closed). If you name the doer, use von + dative.
Vorgangspassiv: werden + Partizip II
The action passive uses a conjugated form of werden plus the Partizip II at the end. This is the everyday passive — it says the action is being carried out.
werden in the present (process passive)
| Person | Form of werden |
|---|---|
| ich | werde |
| du | wirst |
| er/sie/es | wird |
| wir | werden |
| ihr | werdet |
| sie/Sie | werden |
Das Haus wird gebaut.
The house is being built.
Die Rechnungen werden jeden Monat bezahlt.
The bills are paid every month.
Hier wird Deutsch gesprochen.
German is spoken here.
Naming the doer with von
The passive often leaves the agent out. When you do want to say who does it, use von + dative.
Das Haus wird von einem Architekten gebaut.
The house is being built by an architect.
Der Brief wurde von meiner Mutter geschrieben.
The letter was written by my mother.
past: wurde + Partizip II
Zustandspassiv: sein + Partizip II
The state passive uses sein + Partizip II and describes the result of an action — the state something is in, not the action itself. Compare: Die Tür wird geschlossen (someone is closing it) vs Die Tür ist geschlossen (it is now shut).
Die Tür ist geschlossen.
The door is closed.
Das Fenster ist geöffnet.
The window is open.
Der Tisch ist schon gedeckt.
The table is already set.
The passive in the past
In the simple past (Präteritum) werden becomes wurde; in the perfect the passive uses worden (not "geworden"): Das Haus ist gebaut worden.
Das Auto wurde repariert.
The car was repaired.
Präteritum passive
Das Auto ist repariert worden.
The car has been repaired.
Perfekt passive — worden, not geworden
Examples
Das Problem wird gelöst.
The problem is being solved.
Die Suppe wird warm serviert.
The soup is served warm.
Das Buch wurde 1990 veröffentlicht.
The book was published in 1990.
Der Laden ist geschlossen.
The shop is closed.
state, not action
Die Straße wird von Arbeitern repariert.
The street is being repaired by workers.
German lookup checklist
| Question | What to check |
|---|---|
| Meaning | What does the form contribute to the sentence? |
| Agreement | Does it match person, number, gender, case, or tense? |
| Position | Does placement change emphasis or grammatical role? |
Common Mistakes
- Using **sein** where the action passive is meant: "Das Haus ist gebaut" describes a finished state; for the ongoing action say **Das Haus wird gebaut**.
- Writing "geworden" instead of **worden** in the perfect passive: it is **ist gebaut worden**, not "ist gebaut geworden".
- Marking the agent with the wrong preposition: the doer takes **von** + dative (**von meiner Mutter**), not "bei" or "mit".
- Forgetting to send the Partizip II to the end: **Das Haus wird gebaut**, not "Das Haus wird gebaut jetzt schnell" with the participle floating early.
- Confusing the two passives — **werden** = the action happening, **sein** = the resulting state.
Lookup Tips
- Ask "is it happening or is it done?" — happening → werden + Partizip II; done/state → sein + Partizip II.
- The main verb is always in its Partizip II form (gebaut, geschrieben, geschlossen) at the end of the clause.
- Perfect passive uses the short participle **worden**; that odd form is the giveaway that it's a passive, not "become".
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Vorgangspassiv and Zustandspassiv?
The Vorgangspassiv (werden + Partizip II) describes an action in progress — **Die Tür wird geschlossen** (the door is being closed). The Zustandspassiv (sein + Partizip II) describes the resulting state — **Die Tür ist geschlossen** (the door is closed).
How do I say who does the action in a passive sentence?
Use **von** + the dative case: **Das Haus wird von einem Architekten gebaut** (the house is built by an architect). The agent is often simply omitted.
Why is it "worden" and not "geworden" in the passive?
When **werden** is the passive auxiliary, its Partizip II drops the ge- and becomes **worden**: **Das Auto ist repariert worden**. The full form **geworden** is only used when **werden** means "to become".