10K+ students - 4.8/5
Learn with a teacher Learning materials included Practise conversation

Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn how to express ongoing actions in German using the Vorgangspassiv, formed with "werden" plus the past participle (Partizip II). This lesson covers the sentence structure, example verbs like "ausstellen," "singen," and "organisieren," and explains how to optionally include the agent with "von" plus dative. Master this essential passive form to describe processes and actions effectively in German.
  1. The process passive is formed with "werden" + past participle.
  2. It describes active actions where the process is the focus.
  3. The acting person can be named, but does not have to be (von + dative).
Formel  (formula )Verb  (verb)Beispiele (Examples)

 

 

Werden + Partizip II (werden + past participle)

ausstellenDie Bilder werden im Museum ausgestellt.
singenDas Lied wird von einem Sänger gesungen.
organisierenDie Veranstaltung wird organisiert.
malenDas Kunstwerk wird von einem Künstler gemalt.
vorstellenDer Schauspieler wird dem Publikum vorgestellt.

Exercise 1: Das Vorgangspassiv im Deutschen

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

wird verstanden, werden gesehen, wird, werden, werden beantwortet, geschrieben, gebracht, wird vorbereitet, werden gekauft

1. Vorbereiten:
Das Konzert ....
(The concert is being prepared.)
2. Beantworten:
Die Fragen zur Kunst ....
(The questions about art are answered.)
3. Kaufen:
Die Tickets ....
(The tickets are being bought.)
4. Verstehen:
Das Programm ....
(The programme is understood.)
5. Sehen:
Die Kunstwerke ....
(The artworks are being seen.)
6. Kaufen:
Die Bücher ....
(The books are being bought.)
7. Bringen:
Die Kunstwerke ... ins Museum ....
(The artworks are being brought into the museum.)
8. Schreiben:
Über den Künstler ... ein Text ....
(A text is written about the artist.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Die Bilder ____ im Museum ausgestellt.

(The pictures ____ are exhibited in the museum.)

2. Das Lied ____ von einem Sänger gesungen.

(The song ____ is sung by a singer.)

3. Die Veranstaltung ____ organisiert.

(The event ____ is organized.)

4. Das Kunstwerk ____ von einem Künstler gemalt.

(The artwork ____ is painted by an artist.)

5. Der Schauspieler ____ dem Publikum vorgestellt.

(The actor ____ is introduced to the audience.)

6. Das Bild ____ von vielen Besuchern betrachtet.

(The picture ____ is viewed by many visitors.)

Understanding the German Vorgangspassiv (Process Passive)

The Vorgangspassiv is an essential German grammatical structure that focuses on ongoing actions or processes. It is formed using the auxiliary verb werden combined with the past participle (Partizip II) of the main verb.

How It Works

This passive voice emphasizes the action itself rather than who performs it. For example, in the sentence Die Bilder werden im Museum ausgestellt (The pictures are exhibited in the museum), the process of exhibiting is the main focus.

Key Components

  • werden: the auxiliary verb indicating the passive action
  • Partizip II: the past participle form of the main verb (e.g., ausgestellt, gesungen, organisiert)

Examples to Note

  • Das Lied wird von einem Sänger gesungen. – The song is sung by a singer.
  • Die Veranstaltung wird organisiert. – The event is being organized.
  • Das Kunstwerk wird von einem Künstler gemalt. – The artwork is painted by an artist.
  • Der Schauspieler wird dem Publikum vorgestellt. – The actor is introduced to the audience.

Additional Information

The person performing the action (agent) can be included by using von plus the dative case, but it is optional and often omitted when unknown or unimportant.

Learning Tips

Focus on memorizing the auxiliary verb werden in present tense forms and common past participles of regular and irregular verbs. Practice recognizing and forming the Vorgangspassiv by identifying the action and constructing sentences that highlight the process.

Comparing to English

Unlike English passive voice, which uses "to be" + past participle (e.g., "is sung"), German uses "werden" + past participle (e.g., "wird gesungen") to indicate ongoing or current actions. English sometimes uses "being" for continuous passive, whereas German’s Vorgangspassiv inherently conveys the ongoing process without an extra word.

Common useful phrases include werden + Partizip II, and agent phrases like von dem/der... (e.g., "von einem Sänger" – by a singer). Understanding these helps build more natural and grammatically correct sentences.

Written by

This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

Profile Picture

Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

University_Logo

Last Updated:

Tuesday, 15/07/2025 02:45