Passiv (Passive voice)

B1 German grammar — Media & News. The passive emphasises the action, not the doer. Form: werden + Partizip II. The agent (if mentioned) is introduced by '…

Open chapter: Medien & Nachrichten

Rule explained

The passive emphasises the action, not the doer. Form: werden + Partizip II. The agent (if mentioned) is introduced by 'von' (person) or 'durch' (means).

Examples

Use these mini-pairs as templates:

• Das Haus wird gebaut. — The house is being built.
• Der Brief wurde geschrieben. — The letter was written.
• Das Auto ist repariert worden. — The car has been repaired.
• Die Tür wird von ihm geöffnet. — The door is opened by him.

Common mistakes

Watch out for these learner errors:

• In Perfekt passive use 'worden' — NOT 'geworden'.
• Agent: person → 'von', cause/means → 'durch'.