Rules and usage
The passive voice in German shifts focus from the person or thing performing an action to the action itself or the person or thing receiving it. Instead of saying who does something, you describe what happens. German uses the auxiliary verb werden with the past participle to form the passive, and this construction is more common in German writing and formal speech than in English.
When the Passive is Used
- The passive voice appears frequently in German when the agent (the person doing the action) is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context. In newspapers, academic writing, and formal instructions, passives dominate because they create an objective tone. You also use the passive when you want to emphasize the action or the receiver rather than the doer.
- Das Fenster wurde geöffnet. (The window was opened.)
- Die Hausaufgaben müssen bis Freitag gemacht werden. (The homework must be done by Friday.)
- Hier wird Deutsch gesprochen. (German is spoken here.)
✅ Positive sentence examples
| German | English |
|---|
| Das Haus wird gebaut. | The house is being built. |
| Die Pizza wird gegessen. | The pizza is being eaten. |
⛔ Negative sentence examples
| German | English |
|---|
| Das Fenster wird nicht geschlossen. | The window is not being closed. |
| Die Aufgabe wird nicht gelöst. | The task is not being solved. |
❓ Question sentence examples
| German | English |
|---|
| Wird das Buch gelesen? | Is the book being read? |
| Wird das Frühstück zubereitet? | Is breakfast being prepared? |