In our Intro to Passive Voice, we looked at when and why we use the passive. Now, it’s time to get technical.
Building a passive sentence in German is like following a recipe. If you have the right ingredients and put them in the right order, you’ll get a perfect sentence every time. The core of this recipe is the formula: werden + Partizip II.
Let’s break down the rules and the structure.
1. Ingredient #1: The Verb “werden”
The verb werden is the engine of the passive voice. In a present tense passive sentence, you must conjugate werden to match the new subject of your sentence.
| Subject | Werden (Conjugated) |
| Ich | werde |
| Du | wirst |
| Er/Sie/Es | wird |
| Wir | werden |
| Ihr | werdet |
| Sie/sie | werden |
2. Ingredient #2: The Partizip II
The Partizip II (also known as the Past Participle) is the form of the verb you usually use for the Perfekt tense (like gekocht, gelesen, repariert).
In the passive voice, this verb never changes. Whether you are talking about one person or ten, the Partizip II stays exactly the same and always sits at the very end of the clause.
3. The Step-by-Step Structure
To turn an active sentence into a passive one, follow these three steps:
Active Sentence: Der Mechaniker repariert das Auto.
- Move the Object to the Start: The “Auto” becomes the new subject.
- Add Conjugated “werden”: Since Auto is “es”, we use wird.
- Put the Main Verb at the End: Change repariert to its Partizip II form (which is also repariert).
Passive Result: “Das Auto wird repariert.”
4. Adding the “Agent” (Who did it?)
If it is important to mention who is performing the action, you use the preposition von followed by the Dativ case.
- Structure: Subject + werden + von + Dativ + Partizip II.
- Example: “Das Auto wird von dem Mechaniker repariert.”
5. Word Order in Complex Sentences
German word order is strict. The conjugated werden takes Position 2, and the Partizip II takes the final position.
- “Morgen (1) wird (2) das Haus (3) gebaut (End).”
If you are using Lokaladverbien (like hier or dort), they usually sit in the middle:
- “Hier wird gerade gebaut.” (Construction is happening here).
💡 Summary Cheat Sheet
- Conjugate “werden” for the new subject.
- Move the main verb to the end in its ge- form (Partizip II).
- The focus is on the action, not the person.
Struggling with Partizip II forms? Many irregular verbs change their stems. You can check if your verb form is correct using our German Grammar Checker!
Final Thoughts
Forming the passive is all about placement. Once you get used to “kicking” the main verb to the end and letting werden do the work in the second position, it becomes second nature.
Next Step: Now that you can form the passive, why not learn how to make it sound more polite? Check out our guide on Konjunktiv II to see how “would” and “could” change your sentences!