Passive Alternatives: man, sich lassen, and -bar
German has three handy alternatives to the passive voice: the pronoun man, the construction sich lassen, and the suffix -bar. Instead of building a full passive sentence, you can often express the same idea more naturally and concisely with one of these patterns.
They appear constantly in everyday conversation, news, and formal writing, so getting comfortable with them will make your German sound noticeably more fluent. Each one has a slightly different nuance, and knowing when to reach for which is a key B1 milestone.
1. man — The Impersonal 'One / You / People'
man is an indefinite pronoun referring to people in general — like English 'one,' 'you (in general),' or 'they' when no specific person is meant. It is always the grammatical subject and always takes the third-person singular verb form (the same ending as er / sie / es).
| Passive voice | With man |
|---|---|
| Hier wird Deutsch gesprochen. | Man spricht hier Deutsch. |
| Das Formular muss ausgefüllt werden. | Man muss das Formular ausfüllen. |
| Es darf nicht geraucht werden. | Man darf hier nicht rauchen. |
Two things to remember:
- man is always lowercase — never confuse it with the noun Mann (man/husband), which is capitalized.
- man is always nominative and never changes its form. You cannot say den man or dem man.
2. sich lassen + Infinitive — 'Can Be Done'
The construction subject + lässt/lassen + sich + infinitive expresses that something can or is able to be done. It is a natural, common replacement for können + Passiv.
| können + Passiv | sich lassen |
|---|---|
| Das kann gelöst werden. | Das lässt sich lösen. |
| Die Datei kann geöffnet werden. | Die Datei lässt sich öffnen. |
| Die Fehler können behoben werden. | Die Fehler lassen sich beheben. |
Formation rules:
- The subject is the thing being acted on (not a person performing an action)
- lassen agrees with the subject in number:
- Singular subject → lässt sich + infinitive
- Plural subject → lassen sich + infinitive
- The infinitive always goes to the end of the clause
This construction often carries a slightly positive tone — implying something is feasible.
3. The -bar Suffix — '-able / -ible'
Adding -bar to a verb stem creates an adjective meaning that something can be [done]. This mirrors the English suffixes '-able' and '-ible'.
How to form -bar adjectives: Take the infinitive → drop -en → add -bar.
| Verb | Stem | -bar adjective | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| trinken | trink- | trinkbar | drinkable |
| essen | ess- | essbar | edible |
| lösen | lös- | lösbar | solvable |
| lesen | les- | lesbar | readable |
| machen | mach- | machbar | feasible / doable |
| erkennen | erkenn- | erkennbar | recognizable |
Two ways to use -bar adjectives:
- Predicative (after sein, werden): Das Wasser ist trinkbar. — no extra ending needed
- Attributive (before a noun): Das ist ein lösbares Problem. — add regular adjective endings
📖 Examples
Man sagt, Berlin sei die kreativste Stadt Deutschlands.
They say Berlin is the most creative city in Germany.
Hier kann man sehr gut essen.
You can eat very well here.
Das lässt sich nicht so einfach erklären.
That can't be explained so easily.
Diese Aufgabe lässt sich in zwei Stunden erledigen.
This task can be done in two hours.
Ist dieses Wasser überhaupt trinkbar?
Is this water even drinkable?
Man darf in dieser Bibliothek nicht telefonieren.
You are not allowed to make phone calls in this library.
Der Schaden lässt sich leicht beheben.
The damage can be easily repaired.
Das klingt eigentlich sehr machbar.
That actually sounds very feasible.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Man müssen das Formular ausfüllen.Man muss das Formular ausfüllen.
*man* always takes the third-person singular verb form. *müssen* → *er/sie/es muss* → *man muss*. Never use the infinitive or plural form directly after *man*.
Das lässt sich nicht machen werden.Das lässt sich nicht machen.
*sich lassen* + infinitive already expresses the passive meaning on its own. Adding *werden* creates a nonsensical double construction. The infinitive alone is all you need.
Mann spricht hier Deutsch.Man spricht hier Deutsch.
*man* (the indefinite pronoun) is always written in **lowercase**. *Mann* with a capital M is the noun meaning 'man' or 'husband' — a completely different word with a completely different meaning.
Das Problem ist gelösbar.Das Problem ist lösbar.
*-bar* adjectives are formed from the bare verb stem, not the past participle. Drop only the infinitive ending *-en* from *lösen* → *lös-*, then add *-bar*. Never attach the past participle prefix *ge-*.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Which sentence correctly uses *man* to express 'You must not smoke here'?
How do you say 'This problem can be solved' using *sich lassen*?
Which is the correct *-bar* adjective meaning 'readable' from the verb *lesen*?
Which sentence correctly uses *sich lassen* with a **plural** subject?
What does the sentence *Das lässt sich machen* mean in English?
A sign says the mushrooms are edible. Which sentence would it use?
In einem deutschen Restaurant ___ man zuerst auf einen freien Tisch warten. (müssen)
Das Fenster ___ sich leider nicht öffnen. (lassen)
Die Pilze aus dem Wald sind nicht alle ___. Sei vorsichtig! (essen)
Die alten Briefe ___ sich noch gut lesen. (lassen)