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The German Passive

The document discusses the German passive voice (Das Passiv). It notes that the passive can be formed with regular verbs by using "werden" and the past participle. There are two types of passive - the passive of action uses "werden" to express the tense, while the passive of state uses "sein" and expresses a continuous state. The document provides rules for forming the passive in different tenses and with modal verbs. It also discusses impersonal, infinitive, and perfect passive constructions.

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498 views

The German Passive

The document discusses the German passive voice (Das Passiv). It notes that the passive can be formed with regular verbs by using "werden" and the past participle. There are two types of passive - the passive of action uses "werden" to express the tense, while the passive of state uses "sein" and expresses a continuous state. The document provides rules for forming the passive in different tenses and with modal verbs. It also discusses impersonal, infinitive, and perfect passive constructions.

Uploaded by

boris_672305188
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The German Passive (Das Passiv)

NOTE: regular part of IE languages.


NOTE: the following transitive verbs do not have Passive forms:
– heben, bekommen, besitzen, erhalten, erfahren, kennen, wissen;
- sein and werden;
- all reflexive and modal verbs.
NOTE: it is possible to build Passive forms with sein and past participle
(Zustandspassiv, or Passive of State). These forms are not used when agency
is expressed or implied:
- Das Fenster ist geschlossen. The window is closed (state of the
window).
- Ich bin am 5 Mai 1973 geboren. I was born on ... (state of the person).
- Ein Kind wird geboren. A child is born.
- Sie war gelangweilt. She was bored.
- NOTE:
RULES:
1. The Passive Voice is the inverted Active Voice – the direct object of the
Active becomes the subject of the Passive; the Active subject becomes the
agent. Therefore only transitive verbs can have Passive:
- Frau Golm grillt Würstchen. Mrs Golm is baking sausages.
- Würstchen werden gegrillt (von Frau Golm).
- Peter schält Kartoffeln. Peter is peeling potatoes.
- Die Kartoffeln werden geschält (von Peter). Die Kartoffeln wurden geschält.
The potatoes are being peeled.
- Die Kartoffeln sind geschält. The potatoes are peeled.
- Der Arzt untersucht den Patienten. The doctor is examining the patient.

- Der Patient wird von dem Arzt untersucht.


- The patient is (being) examined by the doctor.
2. Vorgangspassiv (Passive of Action): Forms are built with the auxiliary verb
werden and the Past Participle (Partizip II) of the verb. Werden is conjugated
and it informs us about the tense of the verb (the Past Participle remains
unchanged)
Präsens:
- fragen
- ich werde gefragt = I am (being) asked
- du wirst gefragt = You are (being) asked
- er wird gefragt = he/she/it are (being) asked
Präteritum:
- ich wurde gefragt = I was (being) asked
- du wurdest gefragt = You were (being) asked
- er wurde gefragt = he/she/it were (being) asked
Perfekt:
- ich bin gefragt worden = I was (being) asked
- du bist gefragt worden = you were (being) asked
NOTE: the Passive form of the Perfect is built in the regular way. But:
werden must be in Perfect:
- werden-wurde-geworden
- standard Perfect: ich bin geworden (Anne ist Ärztin geworden – Anne
has become/became a doctor)
- when Passive forms are built:
o ich bin gefragt geworden
o ich bin gefragt geworden
o ich bin gefragt worden – I was asked/I was being asked
Plusquamperfekt/Pluperfect:
- built like the Perfect with one difference – ‚werden‘ is in Pluperfect
with ‚war‘
- ich war gefragt worden – I had been asked
- du warst gefragt worden – you had been asked
- er/sie/es war gefragt worden – he etc. had been asked
Futur I: the Future of werden and the Past Participle
- ich werde fotografiert werden – I will be photographed
- du wirst fotografiert werden – you will be photographed
- er wird fotografiert werden – he etc. will be photographed
Futur II: the Future II of werden and the Past Participle (not used)
- ich werde fotografiert worden sein – I will have been photographed
- NOTE:
- ich werde geworden sein
- ich werde geworden sein
- Zur Zeit deiner Anfahrt ich werde vom Arzt untersucht worden sein.
- At the time of your arrival I will have been examined by the doctor.
- Zur Zeit deiner Anfahrt bin ich vom Arzt untersucht worden.
- Zur Zeit deiner Anfahrt bin ich vom Herrn Müller eingeladen worden.
NOTE: the direct object in the Active sentence is the subjecgt in the Passive
sentence:
- Der Arzt untersucht den Jungen.
- Der Junge wird von dem Arzt/vom Arzt untersucht.
NOTE: if the actor is mentioned, we use von for persons and durch for
inanimate objects or abstract terms
Impersonal Passive
This is the Passive which may be formed by intransitive verbs. The sentence
is introduced/opened by the personal pronoun es (which can be omitted if
the sentence begins with another word):
- Es wird oft diskutiert hier. Here people debate a lot.
- Dort wird oft diskutiert. There they are debating (quite) often.

- Dort diskutiert man oft. There is much debate going on there.

Passive with a Modal Verb

NOTES:
- Even in Passive sentences, the rules concerning Modal Verbs are in
force
- The difference is that the Passive Infinitive is used

Examples:
Präsens
- Man muß den Verletzten sofort operieren.
- The injured must be operated immediately.
- Der Verletzte muß sofort operiert werden.
- The injured must be operated immediately.
Präteritum
- Man mußte den Verletzten sofort operieren.
The injured had to be operated immediately.
- Der Verletzte mußte sofort operiert werden.
- The injured had to be operated immediately.
- Das Buch mußte sofort zurückgegeben werden.
Perfekt
- Man hat den Verletzten sofort operieren müssen.
- Der Verletzte hat sofort operiert werden müssen.
- The injured must have been operated immediately.

Same construction in subordinate clauses


- Es ist klar, daß der Verletzte sofort operiert werden muß.
- It is clear that the injured must be operated immediately.
- Es ist klar, daß der Verletzte sofort operiert werden mußte.
-
- Es ist klar, daß der Verletzte sofort hat operiert werden müssen.
- It is clear that the injured must have been operated immediately.

ADDITIONAL NOTE:
- Passiversatz – substitution of the Passive
Die Schuld des Angeklagten kann nicht bestritten werden.
The guilt of the accused cannot be disputed/challenged.
Alternative ways:
- Die Schuld des Angeklagten ist nicht zu bestreiten.
- Die Schuld des Angeklagten ist unbestreitbar.
- Die Schuld des Angeklagten läßt sich nicht bestreiten.
o Literal: ‚The guilt of the accused does not let itself to be
challenged.‘

- Use of wollen: it can be used only in Active sentences; in Passive it


should be replaced by sollen
o Man will am Stadtrand eine neue Siedlung errichten.
o Am Stadtrand soll eine neue Siedlung errichtet werden.

Exercise:
- Wir beraten die Kunden.
- Die Kunden werden beraten.

- Wir holen die Fernsehen ab und reparieren sie.


- Die Fernsehen werden abgeholt und repariert.

- Wir bringen die Geräte ins Haus.


- Die Geräte werden ins Haus gebracht.

- Wir installieren Antennen.


- Die Antennen werden installiert.

- Wir bedienen die Kunden höflich.


- Die Kunden werden höflich bedient.
Passive in the Infinitive Construction

Ich hoffe, daß ich bald eingeladen werde.


I hope that I will be invited soon.
Ich hoffe bald eingeladen zu werden.

Sie hofft, daß sie vom Bahnhof abgeholt wird.


She hopes she will be taken from the station.
Sie hofft vom Bahnhof abgeholt zu werden.

NOTES:
- Infinitive construction in Passive is possible only when the subject in
the main and in the subordinate clause are the same.
- The rule on the use of the construction after verbs expressing
personal attitude (desire, lack of desire, fear, hope, etc.) remains in
force.
- When actions are simultaneous, the Present Infinitive in Passiv is
used.
- When the action in the Infinitive Construction precedes the one in the
main clause, Perfect Infinitive is used:
o Er behauptet, daß er niemals vorher gefragt worden ist.
o He claims that he has never been asked before.
o Er behauptet niemals vorher gefragt worden zu sein.

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