Passive Voice - Introduction


In English and German, a verb can have one of two voices which describe the relationship between the verb and the subject. These voices are the active voice and passive voice.

Typically, we use the active voice, where the subject is the doer or agent of the action. For example:

  The man eats the apple.

In this sentence, the agent (the man) is acting upon (by eating) the object (the apple).

In the passive voice, the subject is the receiver or patient of the action. This typically places the emphasis on the patient or action, and the agent can be left out altogether if it is unknown or irrelevant. For example, the above sentence converted into the passive voice becomes:

  The apple is being eaten.

In this example, the patient (the apple) is being acted upon (by being eaten) by an unknown agent.

German offers two passive forms: the Vorgangspassiv or Handlungspassiv (with werden) and the Zustandspassiv (with sein). The Vorgangspassiv refers to the process of an action, while the Zustandspassiv refers to the state of an action. The Vorgangspassiv is more commonly used and relates closely to its active voice equivalent.

The following articles will expand on the construction and usage of the passive voice. The “passive voice” will mean Vorgangspassiv unless otherwise stated.

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