what is it?
The Zustandspassiv (state passive) describes the result of a completed action — the condition that exists after something has been done. It is formed with the appropriate form of sein plus a past participle. It contrasts directly with the Vorgangspassiv (process passive), which uses werden + past participle and focuses on the action itself rather than its outcome. Compare: Das Fenster wird geöffnet (the window is being opened — process) vs. Das Fenster ist geöffnet (the window is open — state).
when to use it
A completed action has left a visible or tangible result. The Zustandspassiv is only meaningful when the verb's action produces a result that persists — e.g. öffnen, decken, schließen, reparieren. Verbs whose actions leave no lasting state (e.g. regnen, schlafen) cannot form a sensible Zustandspassiv.
You want to describe the current state, not the ongoing process. Use the Zustandspassiv when the focus is on how things stand right now, not on who is doing what or what is happening at this moment.
Past states with war + participle. To describe a state that existed at a point in the past, replace ist with war: Der Tisch war gedeckt (the table was set).
Agent phrases are rarely used. Because the Zustandspassiv describes a state rather than an action, adding a von + agent phrase is almost always unnatural. The agent is irrelevant to the state itself.
formation
The structure is straightforward: conjugate sein to match the subject, then add the past participle of the main verb. The participle does not change form.
| tense | sein form | participle | example | meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| present | ist | geöffnet | Das Fenster ist geöffnet. | The window is open. |
| present | sind | gedeckt | Die Tische sind gedeckt. | The tables are set. |
| simple past | war | geöffnet | Das Fenster war geöffnet. | The window was open. |
| simple past | waren | gedeckt | Die Tische waren gedeckt. | The tables were set. |
The past participle used in the Zustandspassiv is identical in form to the one used in the Vorgangspassiv and in the Perfekt. The difference lies entirely in the auxiliary verb: sein signals state; werden signals process.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Using the Zustandspassiv for an ongoing process.
The Zustandspassiv cannot describe something that is still happening. «Das Haus ist gerade gebaut» is wrong because the building is in progress, not yet a completed state. Use the Vorgangspassiv instead: Das Haus wird gerade gebaut (the house is currently being built).
Adding an agent phrase to a pure state.
Saying «Das Fenster ist von Maria geöffnet» is unnatural. The Zustandspassiv describes a state, not an action, so naming an agent with von does not fit. If the agent matters, switch to the Vorgangspassiv: Das Fenster wurde von Maria geöffnet (the window was opened by Maria).
Confusing the Zustandspassiv with the active Perfekt of sein-verbs.
Some verbs form their active Perfekt with sein + past participle — the same surface structure as the Zustandspassiv. Er ist gefahren is active Perfekt (he has driven / he drove), not a passive construction. The key distinction: Zustandspassiv uses a transitive verb whose object has undergone a change, while sein-Perfekt verbs are typically intransitive verbs of motion or change of state (fahren, gehen, kommen, fallen).
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
Es ist so dunkel hier — die Kerze ___ schon ___. (ausmachen)
Fill in the blank with the correct Zustandspassiv (sein-passive) form of the verb in parentheses.