Passive sentences play an important role in the German language, allowing speakers to shift the focus from the subject to the object of a sentence. In a passive sentence, the object becomes the subject, while the subject takes a less prominent role or is omitted entirely. This linguistic structure can be quite different from English, so it’s essential to understand the basics of German passive sentences to communicate effectively in the language.
What is a Passive Sentence?
A passive sentence is a construction in which the grammatical subject of a sentence is the recipient of an action rather than the performer. In English, a passive sentence is typically formed by using the auxiliary verb “to be” followed by the past participle of the main verb. For example, “The book was written by Sarah.”
In German, passive sentences follow a similar pattern. They are formed by using the auxiliary verb “werden” (to become) in combination with the past participle of the main verb. The past participle is formed differently in German based on the verb’s regular or irregular conjugation.
Formation of Passive Sentences in German
To form a passive sentence in German, you need to follow these steps:
Step 1: Identify the main verb and determine its past participle form. Remember that regular verbs form the past participle by adding “-t” or “-et” to the verb stem. Irregular verbs, on the other hand, have unique forms that must be memorized.
Step 2: Conjugate the auxiliary verb “werden” according to the subject and tense of the sentence.
Step 3: Place the conjugated form of “werden” before the main verb’s past participle.
Step 4: Add any additional elements to the sentence as necessary, such as the agent (the performer of the action) or the preposition “von” (by).
Example Sentences
Let’s explore some example sentences to illustrate the formation and usage of passive sentences in German:
Example 1:
Active: Der Lehrer unterrichtet die Schüler. (The teacher teaches the students.)
Passive: Die Schüler werden vom Lehrer unterrichtet. (The students are taught by the teacher.)
In this example, the subject “Der Lehrer” (the teacher) becomes the agent in the passive sentence, indicated by the preposition “von” (by). The verb “werden” is conjugated as “werden + present tense of ‘von’ + unterrichtet” to form the passive construction.
Example 2:
Active: Die Firma produziert Autos. (The company produces cars.)
Passive: Autos werden von der Firma produziert. (Cars are produced by the company.)
In this case, there is no specific agent mentioned, so it is not necessary to include the preposition “von.” The passive sentence still conveys the same information as the active sentence but emphasizes the object “Autos” (cars) rather than the subject “Die Firma” (the company).
Example 3:
Active: Ich habe den Brief geschrieben. (I wrote the letter.)
Passive: Der Brief wurde von mir geschrieben. (The letter was written by me.)
Here, the pronoun “mich” (me) is used to indicate the performer of the action, and the preposition “von” is not necessary. The verb “werden” is conjugated as “wurde + von + geschrieben.”
Tenses and Conjugation of “Werden”
In German, the auxiliary verb “werden” must be conjugated according to the tense and subject of the sentence. Here are the conjugations for “werden” in the present and past tenses:
Present Tense:
Ich werde (I am)
Du wirst (you are)
Er/Sie/Es wird (he/she/it is)
Wir werden (we are)
Ihr werdet (you are)
Sie werden (they are)
Past Tense:
Ich wurde (I was)
Du wurdest (you were)
Er/Sie/Es wurde (he/she/it was)
Wir wurden (we were)
Ihr wurdet (you were)
Sie wurden (they were)
To form a passive sentence, you would combine the appropriate form of “werden” with the past participle of the main verb.
Use and Importance of Passive Sentences
Passive sentences are used in German to emphasize the object or recipient of an action rather than the subject. They are often employed when the performer of the action is either unknown, irrelevant, or less important in the context of the sentence. Passive constructions are particularly useful when discussing general statements, scientific findings, or historical events.
Additionally, passive sentences are frequently used in formal writing, such as academic papers or news articles, as they provide a more objective and impersonal tone. By using passive sentences, the focus is placed on the action and its consequences rather than the person performing the action.
Understanding and correctly using passive sentences in German can greatly enhance your language proficiency and help you express yourself accurately in various situations.
In conclusion, passive sentences in German involve a shift of focus from the subject to the object of a sentence. By using the auxiliary verb “werden” combined with the past participle of the main verb, German speakers can convey information in a different manner than in English. Practice forming passive sentences and become familiar with the different conjugations of “werden” to master this essential aspect of German grammar.
Quick quiz
Exercise 1:
Choose the correct passive sentence that corresponds to the given active sentence:
Active Sentence: Der Hund frisst das Fleisch. (The dog eats the meat.)
A) Das Fleisch wird vom Hund gefressen. (The meat is eaten by the dog.)
B) Der Hund wird das Fleisch gefressen. (The dog is eaten the meat.)
C) Das Fleisch wird von der Hund gefressen. (The meat is eaten by the dog.)
D) Der Hund das Fleisch wird gefressen. (The dog the meat is eaten.)
Answer: A) Das Fleisch wird vom Hund gefressen. (The meat is eaten by the dog.)
Explanation: In the active sentence, the dog is the subject, and “frisst” is the verb. To form the corresponding passive sentence, the object “das Fleisch” becomes the subject, and the verb changes to “wird gefressen.” The preposition “von” is used to indicate the agent, in this case, “vom Hund” (by the dog).
Exercise 2:
Select the correct passive construction for the following active sentence:
Active Sentence: Meine Mutter hat den Kuchen gebacken. (My mother baked the cake.)
A) Der Kuchen wird von meiner Mutter gebacken. (The cake is baked by my mother.)
B) Meine Mutter wird den Kuchen gebacken. (My mother is baked the cake.)
C) Der Kuchen wird meine Mutter gebacken. (The cake is baked my mother.)
D) Meine Mutter der Kuchen wird gebacken. (My mother the cake is baked.)
Answer: A) Der Kuchen wird von meiner Mutter gebacken. (The cake is baked by my mother.)
Explanation: In the active sentence, “Meine Mutter” (my mother) is the subject, and “hat gebacken” is the verb. To form the passive sentence, the object “der Kuchen” (the cake) becomes the subject, and the verb changes to “wird gebacken.” The preposition “von” is used to indicate the agent, in this case, “von meiner Mutter” (by my mother).
Exercise 3:
Choose the correct passive sentence that corresponds to the given active sentence:
Active Sentence: Der Gärtner pflanzt die Blumen. (The gardener plants the flowers.)
A) Die Blumen werden vom Gärtner gepflanzt. (The flowers are planted by the gardener.)
B) Der Gärtner werden die Blumen gepflanzt. (The gardener are planted the flowers.)
C) Die Blumen werden von der Gärtner gepflanzt. (The flowers are planted by the gardener.)
D) Der Gärtner die Blumen werden gepflanzt. (The gardener the flowers are planted.)
Answer: A) Die Blumen werden vom Gärtner gepflanzt. (The flowers are planted by the gardener.)
Explanation: In the active sentence, the gardener is the subject, and “pflanzt” is the verb. To form the corresponding passive sentence, the object “die Blumen” becomes the subject, and the verb changes to “werden gepflanzt.” The preposition “von” is used to indicate the agent, in this case, “vom Gärtner” (by the gardener).
Exercise 4:
Select the correct passive construction for the following active sentence:
Active Sentence: Wir trinken den Saft. (We drink the juice.)
A) Der Saft wird von uns getrunken. (The juice is drunk by us.)
B) Uns wird den Saft getrunken. (We are drunk the juice.)
C) Der Saft wird uns getrunken. (The juice is drunk to us.)
D) Uns der Saft wird getrunken. (We the juice are drunk.)
Answer: A) Der Saft wird von uns getrunken. (The juice is drunk by us.)
Explanation: In the active sentence, “Wir” (we) is the subject, and “trinken” is the verb. To form the passive sentence, the object “den Saft” (the juice) becomes the subject, and the verb changes to “wird getrunken.” The preposition “von” is used to indicate the agent, in this case, “von uns” (by us).
Exercise 5:
Choose the correct passive sentence that corresponds to the given active sentence:
Active Sentence: Die Polizei hat den Dieb gefasst. (The police caught the thief.)
A) Der Dieb wird von die Polizei gefasst. (The thief is caught by the police.)
B) Die Polizei wird den Dieb gefasst. (The police is caught the thief.)
C) Der Dieb wird die Polizei gefasst. (The thief is caught the police.)
D) Die Polizei den Dieb wird gefasst. (The police the thief is caught.)
Answer: A) Der Dieb wird von die Polizei gefasst. (The thief is caught by the police.)
Explanation: In the active sentence, the police is the subject, and “hat gefasst” is the verb. To form the corresponding passive sentence, the object “der Dieb” (the thief) becomes the subject, and the verb changes to “wird gefasst.” The preposition “von” is used to indicate the agent, in this case, “von die Polizei” (by the police).
Exercise 6:
Select the correct passive construction for the following active sentence:
Active Sentence: Sie öffnet das Fenster. (She opens the window.)
A) Das Fenster wird von sie geöffnet. (The window is opened by her.)
B) Sie wird das Fenster geöffnet. (She is opened the window.)
C) Das Fenster wird sie geöffnet. (The window is opened her.)
D) Sie das Fenster wird geöffnet. (She the window is opened.)
Answer: A) Das Fenster wird von sie geöffnet. (The window is opened by her.)
Explanation: In the active sentence, “Sie” (she) is the subject, and “öffnet” is the verb. To form the passive sentence, the object “das Fenster” (the window) becomes the subject, and the verb changes to “wird geöffnet.” The preposition “von” is used to indicate the agent, in this case, “von sie” (by her).
Exercise 7:
Choose the correct passive sentence that corresponds to the given active sentence:
Active Sentence: Der Lehrer erklärt den Schülern die Aufgabe. (The teacher explains the task to the students.)
A) Die Aufgabe wird vom Lehrer den Schülern erklärt. (The task is explained by the teacher to the students.)
B) Den Schülern wird der Lehrer die Aufgabe erklärt. (The students are explained the task by the teacher.)
C) Die Aufgabe wird den Schülern vom Lehrer erklärt. (The task is explained to the students by the teacher.)
D) Den Schülern die Aufgabe wird vom Lehrer erklärt. (The students the task is explained by the teacher.)
Answer: C) Die Aufgabe wird den Schülern vom Lehrer erklärt. (The task is explained to the students by the teacher.)
Explanation: In the active sentence, the teacher is the subject, and “erklärt” is the verb. To form the corresponding passive sentence, the object “die Aufgabe” becomes the subject, and the verb changes to “wird erklärt.” The preposition “den Schülern” indicates the recipients of the action, and “vom Lehrer” indicates the source of the action.
Exercise 8:
Select the correct passive construction for the following active sentence:
Active Sentence: Mein Vater liest mir ein Buch vor. (My father reads me a book.)
A) Mir wird ein Buch von meinem Vater vorgelesen. (I am read a book by my father.)
B) Ein Buch wird mir von meinem Vater vorgelesen. (A book is read to me by my father.)
C) Mir ein Buch von meinem Vater wird vorgelesen. (Me a book by my father is read.)
D) Ein Buch mir wird von meinem Vater vorgelesen. (A book to me is read by my father.)
Answer: B) Ein Buch wird mir von meinem Vater vorgelesen. (A book is read to me by my father.)
Explanation: In the active sentence, “Mein Vater” (my father) is the subject, and “liest vor” is the verb phrase. To form the passive sentence, the object “ein Buch” (a book) becomes the subject, and the verb changes to “wird vorgelesen.” The preposition “mir” indicates the recipient of the action, and “von meinem Vater” indicates the source of the action.
Exercise 9:
Choose the correct passive sentence that corresponds to the given active sentence:
Active Sentence: Die Kinder haben den Kuchen gegessen. (The children ate the cake.)
A) Der Kuchen wird von den Kindern gegessen. (The cake is eaten by the children.)
B) Den Kuchen werden die Kinder gegessen. (The cake is eaten the children.)
C) Der Kuchen wird die Kinder gegessen. (The cake is eaten the children.)
D) Den Kuchen die Kinder werden gegessen. (The cake the children are eaten.)
Answer: A) Der Kuchen wird von den Kindern gegessen. (The cake is eaten by the children.)
Explanation: In the active sentence, the children are the subject, and “haben gegessen” is the verb phrase. To form the corresponding passive sentence, the object “der Kuchen” (the cake) becomes the subject, and the verb changes to “wird gegessen.” The preposition “von” is used to indicate the agent, in this case, “von den Kindern” (by the children).
Exercise 10:
Select the correct passive construction for the following active sentence:
Active Sentence: Der Arzt hat dem Patienten die Medizin verschrieben. (The doctor prescribed the medicine to the patient.)
A) Dem Patienten wird von dem Arzt die Medizin verschrieben. (The medicine is prescribed to the patient by the doctor.)
B) Die Medizin wird dem Patienten von dem Arzt verschrieben. (The medicine is prescribed to the patient by the doctor.)
C) Dem Patienten wird die Medizin von dem Arzt verschrieben. (The medicine is prescribed to the patient by the doctor.)
D) Die Medizin wird von dem Arzt dem Patienten verschrieben. (The medicine is prescribed by the doctor to the patient.)
Answer: B) Die Medizin wird dem Patienten von dem Arzt verschrieben. (The medicine is prescribed to the patient by the doctor.)
Explanation: In the active sentence, “Der Arzt” (the doctor) is the subject, and “hat verschrieben” is the verb phrase. To form the passive sentence, the object “die Medizin” (the medicine) becomes the subject, and the verb changes to “wird verschrieben.” The preposition “dem Patienten” indicates the recipient of the action, and “von dem Arzt” indicates the source of the action.
In each of the exercises, the correct answer is determined by correctly transforming the active sentence into its passive counterpart while maintaining the correct subject-verb agreement and using the appropriate prepositions to indicate the agent or recipient of the action. The passive constructions allow the focus to shift from the performer of the action to the object or recipient, providing a different perspective or emphasis in the sentence.
Originally posted 2023-07-19 05:00:37.