Passive Of Intransitive Verbs

Level 4

The impersonal passive (unpersönliches Passiv) allows German speakers to describe an activity without a grammatical subject. It is formed using 'werden' + 'Past Participle' and is always in the 3rd person singular.

How It Works

In German, even verbs that don't take an accusative object (intransitive verbs) can be put into the passive voice. This is a major difference from English.

1. Formation:
It uses the auxiliary verb werden and the Past Participle. The verb is always conjugated in the 3rd person singular (wird/wurde).

2. The 'Es' Placeholder:
Because German sentences usually require something in Position 1, a dummy 'es' is often used. However, this 'es' is not a real subject; it is merely a placeholder. If another word (like an adverb or prepositional phrase) moves to the front, the 'es' must disappear.
• Es wird heute gearbeitet. (Placeholder 'es' used)
• Heute wird gearbeitet. ('Es' disappears because 'Heute' is in Position 1)

3. Usage with Dative Verbs:
When using dative verbs (like helfen or danken) in the passive, the person remains in the dative case. They do not become the nominative subject.
• Mir wird geholfen. (I am being helped - literally: 'To me it is being helped')

4. Restriction to Controllable Actions:
This construction is generally restricted to verbs describing activities or controllable actions (e.g., tanzen, arbeiten, lachen). It is not used for verbs describing states or occurrences beyond one's control (e.g., you cannot say 'Es wird gewusst' for 'It is known').

5. Nuance:
This form is common for general rules, collective actions, or commands. Saying 'Jetzt wird geschlafen!' (Now it is being slept!) is a firm way of telling someone to go to sleep.

Examples (5)

  1. Es wird hier nicht geraucht.

    There is no smoking here.

    Word by Word: It becomes here not smoked.

    A classic example of a rule or prohibition using the impersonal passive.

  2. Sonntags wird nicht gearbeitet.

    On Sundays, no work is done.

    Word by Word: Sundays becomes not worked.

    Notice that 'es' is omitted because 'Sonntags' occupies the first position.

  3. Mir wurde von den Kollegen geholfen.

    I was helped by my colleagues.

    Word by Word: To me was by the colleagues helped.

    With dative verbs, the person ('mir') stays in the dative case; the verb remains singular.

  4. Es wurde die ganze Nacht getanzt.

    There was dancing all night long.

    Word by Word: It was the whole night danced.

    This focuses on the activity of dancing rather than who was dancing.

  5. Jetzt wird aber gegessen!

    Now we are eating! / Time to eat!

    Word by Word: Now becomes however eaten!

    Used as a firm command or announcement of a collective action.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the 'es' when another word is in the first position.

    Hier wird es getanzt.
    Hier wird getanzt.

    The 'es' in impersonal passive is only a placeholder for Position 1. If 'Hier' is there, 'es' must be removed.

  • Changing the dative object to a nominative subject.

    Ich wurde geholfen.
    Mir wurde geholfen.

    In German, dative objects do not become subjects in the passive. They stay dative.

  • Making the verb plural to match a dative object.

    Denen werden gedankt.
    Denen wird gedankt.

    The impersonal passive is always 3rd person singular ('wird' or 'wurde'), regardless of who is being thanked.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Passive Of Intransitive VerbsLevel 4

Learn This First

To understand the impersonal passive, you first need to be comfortable with the standard passive voice (Vorgangspassiv) using 'werden' and the past participle. Additionally, you must understand how 'es' functions as a placeholder (expletive) and how German word order (V2) allows different elements to occupy the first position, which determines whether the placeholder 'es' is required or omitted.

Words in This Pattern