In professional German, you often want to sound objective and formal. To achieve this, you have two main strategies: turning actions into nouns (Nominalisierung) or focusing on the action itself (Passiv).
While they often convey the same information, choosing one over the other can change the tone of your sentence from “active and process-oriented” to “compact and official.”
1. The Goal: Removing the “Doer”
In both structures, the person performing the action often disappears. This is perfect for scientific reports, news, or office communication.
- Active: “Der Mechaniker repariert das Auto.” (The mechanic is fixing the car.)
- Passive: “Das Auto wird repariert.” (The car is being fixed.)
- Nominal: “Die Reparatur des Autos…” (The repair of the car…)
2. When to Use Passive Voice
Use the Passive Voice when you want to describe a process or an ongoing action. It feels more dynamic than a noun.
- Best for: Describing how something is done step-by-step.
- Example: “Zuerst wird der Motor geprüft, dann werden die Reifen gewechselt.”
- Grammar Tip: Don’t forget to distinguish between State Passive and Process Passive to be precise about whether the job is finished.
3. When to Use Nominalisierung
Use Nominalisierung when you want to be extremely concise. It allows you to pack a lot of information into a single phrase, often using prepositions like wegen, trotz, or bei.
- Best for: Headlines, formal letters, and academic titles.
- Example: “Nach der Reparatur des Autos…” (Instead of: “After the car was repaired…”)
- Grammar Tip: This style is common in the B2 Level Nominalisierung tasks where you transform whole sentences into short noun phrases.
4. Side-by-Side: The Transformation
Notice how the “verb-based” passive sentence becomes a “noun-based” phrase:
| Passive Sentence (Verbal Style) | Nominal Phrase (Nominal Style) |
| Während das Haus gebaut wird… | Während des Hausbaus… |
| Bevor die Stadt gereinigt wurde… | Vor der Stadtreinigung… |
| Weil die Preise erhöht wurden… | Wegen der Preiserhöhung… |
5. Which One is Harder?
Most students find Nominalisierung more challenging because it requires you to know the exact gender of the noun and use the Genitiv case.
- Passive: You just need to know the Passive with Modal Verbs rules and the Partizip II.
- Nominal: You must know that erhöhen becomes die Erhöhung (feminine) and then apply the correct ending (der Erhöhung).
💡 Summary Cheat Sheet
- Passive = Focus on the process (Uses verbs).
- Nominal = Focus on the event (Uses nouns).
- Pro Tip: In B2/C1 exams, try to use a mix of both. Starting a paragraph with a nominal phrase and following up with passive sentences makes your writing sound very sophisticated.
Final Thoughts
Choosing between Nominalisierung and Passive Voice is like choosing between a video (Passive) and a photograph (Nominal). One shows the action moving, the other shows the concept as a whole.
Next Step: Ready to practice these transformations? Check out our guide on Common Mistakes in German Nominalisierung to make sure your noun-style German is perfect!