Passive Voice I: Present Tense
In German, the passive voice lets you describe what happens to something without saying who does it. Instead of "The chef cooks the soup", you say "The soup is cooked." This structure appears constantly in everyday German: on signs, in instructions, and in the news.
The good news is that the German present passive follows a simple two-part pattern: werden + past participle. Once you learn how werden is conjugated and how to form past participles, you can build passive sentences right away.
Active vs. Passive
In an active sentence, the subject performs the action:
Der Bäcker bäckt das Brot. — The baker bakes the bread.
In a passive sentence, the subject receives the action — we focus on what is being done to it:
Das Brot wird gebacken. — The bread is being baked.
Use the passive when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or already clear from context. It is especially common in instructions, notices, and formal writing.
Forming the Present Passive
The formula is straightforward:
[Subject] + werden (conjugated) + … + past participle (at the end)
Conjugate werden to match the subject:
| Subject | werden | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ich | werde | Ich werde gefragt. |
| du | wirst | Du wirst eingeladen. |
| er / sie / es | wird | Es wird gemacht. |
| wir | werden | Wir werden informiert. |
| ihr | werdet | Ihr werdet gerufen. |
| sie / Sie | werden | Sie werden bezahlt. |
The past participle always goes to the end of the clause — just like in the Perfekt tense.
Adding an Agent with 'von'
To say who performs the action, use von + dative placed directly after werden. The past participle still goes last:
Das Auto wird von dem Mechaniker repariert. — The car is being repaired by the mechanic.
Leaving out the agent is perfectly normal — and very common:
Das Auto wird repariert. — The car is being repaired.
Only add von when the agent provides meaningful new information.
📖 Examples
Das Brot wird gebacken.
The bread is being baked.
Die Tür wird geöffnet.
The door is being opened.
Das Auto wird repariert.
The car is being repaired.
Die Hausaufgaben werden gemacht.
The homework is being done.
Der Brief wird geschrieben.
The letter is being written.
Das Fenster wird geputzt.
The window is being cleaned.
Die Kinder werden gerufen.
The children are being called.
Das Essen wird gekocht.
The food is being cooked.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Das Buch ist gelesen.Das Buch wird gelesen.
English speakers use *ist* (is) because English says 'is read'. In German, the passive *process* uses *werden*. Using *sein* + past participle describes a **resulting state** (the book is already read), whereas *werden* + past participle describes the **ongoing action** (the book is being read).
Das Auto wird repariert von dem Mechaniker.Das Auto wird von dem Mechaniker repariert.
The past participle must stay at the **end** of the clause. The agent phrase *von + dative* belongs between *wird* and the past participle, not after it.
Die Suppe wird kochen.Die Suppe wird gekocht.
The passive needs the **past participle** (*gekocht*), not the infinitive (*kochen*). Using *werden* + infinitive creates the future tense ('will cook'), not the passive.
Das Haus werden gebaut.Das Haus wird gebaut.
*werden* must agree with the **subject** in number. *Das Haus* is singular (er/sie/es), so the correct form is *wird*, not *werden*.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Which sentence correctly uses the present passive?
How do you say 'The window is being cleaned' in German?
Choose the correct form of *werden*: 'Die Briefe ___ geschrieben.'
Which sentence places the agent correctly?
What is the correct present passive transformation of 'Sie rufen die Kinder'?
Which sentence describes an ongoing passive *process* (not a resulting state)?
Die Kinder ___ jeden Abend ins Bett gebracht. (werden)
Das Brot wird jeden Morgen frisch ___. (backen)
Du ___ morgen von deinem Chef angerufen. (werden)
Der Brief wird von ihr ___. (schreiben)