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Passive constructions, written in Markdown format:

German Passive Constructions

The passive voice is used extensively in German, often more so than in English. It is formed by using the verb "werden" (to become) as an auxiliary verb, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

The Passive with "Werden"

• Present Tense: Das Buch wird gelesen. (The book is being read.)
• Past Tense: Das Buch wurde gelesen. (The book was read.)
• Future Tense: Das Buch wird gelesen werden. (The book will be read.)

The passive is used when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from the context. It is common in formal writing, news reports, and scientific texts.

The Impersonal Passive

German also has an impersonal passive construction using the pronoun "man" (one/you):

• Man liest das Buch. (One reads the book. / The book is read.)

This impersonal passive is often used to express general statements or instructions.

The "Sein" Passive

For some verbs, especially those describing a state or change of condition, the passive is formed with the auxiliary verb "sein" (to be) instead of "werden":

• Das Fenster ist geöffnet. (The window is opened.)
• Die Tür war geschlossen. (The door was closed.)

This "sein" passive is more common with adjectives derived from past participles.

Overall, the passive voice is an important grammatical feature in German, used extensively in various contexts to shift the focus away from the actor and onto the action itself.