what is it?
The German werden-passive expresses an action done to a subject rather than by it. Beyond the present tense, the passive appears in two past tenses — the Präteritum (narrative past) and the Perfekt (conversational past) — and it combines with modal verbs to express obligation, permission, or possibility. In every case the core structure is the same: a form of werden plus the past participle of the main verb. The agent (the doer) can be added with von (people or direct causers) or durch (means or intermediaries).
when to use it
Passive Präteritum — use this when narrating past events in writing or formal speech, or when the active Präteritum would be the natural tense. It answers «what was done?» at a specific past moment.
Passive Perfekt — use this in spoken German or informal writing to refer to a completed past action. It is the passive equivalent of the active Perfekt and is formed with sein … worden (not geworden).
Passive with modals — use this when you need to express that something must, can, should, or may be done. The modal carries the tense; the main verb stays as a past participle followed by werden at the end.
von vs. durch — use von for people or direct causers (e.g. von der Lehrerin); use durch for means or intermediaries (e.g. durch einen Brief).
formation
All passive forms share the pattern: finite form of werden + past participle of main verb. The table below shows how werden changes across the three constructions, using the verb schreiben (past participle: geschrieben) as the example.
| construction | formula | example (3rd sg.) |
|---|---|---|
| Präteritum passive | wurde/wurden + Partizip II | Der Brief wurde geschrieben. |
| Perfekt passive | ist/sind + Partizip II + worden | Der Brief ist geschrieben worden. |
| modal passive (present) | modal + Partizip II + werden | Der Brief muss geschrieben werden. |
| modal passive (past) | modal (Prät.) + Partizip II + werden | Der Brief musste geschrieben werden. |
In the passive Perfekt, the auxiliary is always sein, and the special short form worden (not geworden) is used. In a modal passive, the verb cluster always ends with werden: modal → Partizip II → werden.
examples in context
common pitfalls
«geworden» instead of «worden» in the passive Perfekt.
«Geworden» is the Partizip II of werden when it means «to become» (e.g. Er ist Arzt geworden.). In the passive Perfekt, the auxiliary role of werden uses the reduced form worden. Write Das Gesetz ist eingeführt worden, not «ist eingeführt geworden».
Wrong order of the verb cluster in modal passives.
The correct order is: modal (finite) → Partizip II → werden. Placing werden before the Partizip II is a common error: «muss werden ausgefüllt» is wrong. The correct form is muss ausgefüllt werden.
Using «bei» or «mit» for the agent.
Neither bei nor mit introduces a passive agent. Use von (+ dative) for people and direct causers, and durch (+ accusative) for means or intermediaries. «Das Paket wurde mit einem Kollegen gebracht» is incorrect; the right form is von einem Kollegen gebracht.
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
Das Fahrrad ist letzte Woche von meinem Bruder ___ . (reparieren)
Fill in the blank with the correct passive Perfekt form of the verb in parentheses.