State Passive: sinn + Participle
Finished States: Sinn + Participle
Sinn + participle describes a finished state: D'Aarbecht ass gemaach. (The work is done.) The action is over, and only its result matters.
How It Works
1. How it is built
Use the right form of sinn in second place and the past participle at the end. The subject is the thing that was acted on:
- D'Geschäft ass zougemaach. (The shop is closed.)
- Den Dësch ass reservéiert. (The table is reserved.)
- D'Fënstere sinn all zougemaach. (The windows are all closed.)
The participle never takes an ending here, just like an adjective after sinn.
2. Action or result?
With gëtt, the action is going on. With sinn, it is already finished:
- D'Strooss gëtt gespaart. (The road is being closed off.)
- D'Strooss ass gespaart. (The road is closed off.)
The perfect passive ass ... ginn is different again: it reports that the action took place. D'Strooss ass gespaart ginn means the road has been closed off. See The Perfect Passive.
3. In the past
Use war for a state in the past: Wéi mer ukomm sinn, war d'Kiche schonn opgeraumt. (When we arrived, the kitchen was already tidied up.) See war and hat.
4. Not the same as the perfect with sinn
Hien ass komm is the perfect with sinn: he did the coming himself. In the state passive, the subject did not act. Someone else closed the shop or reserved the table.
5. Short everyday words
For open and closed, people very often just say op and zou: D'Geschäft ass zou. Both ways are correct. The participle form works for any verb that acts on something.
Examples (6)
- D'Geschäft ass zougemaach.
The shop is closed.
Someone closed it earlier. Now it is in the closed state.
- D'Aarbecht ass gemaach.
The work is done.
- Den Dësch ass reservéiert.
The table is reserved.
The reservation was made earlier; the table is now taken.
- D'Fënstere sinn all zougemaach.
The windows are all closed.
The plural subject takes sinn. Fënsteren loses its n before s.
- D'Strooss ass gespaart, well do geschafft gëtt.
The road is closed because work is going on there.
Ass gespaart is the state; gëtt geschafft is an action in progress.
- Wéi mer ukomm sinn, war d'Kiche schonn opgeraumt.
When we arrived, the kitchen was already tidied up.
War with a participle describes a state in the past.
Common Mistakes
Using gëtt when you mean the result (intended meaning: the table is already reserved).
Pardon, den Dësch gëtt reservéiert.Pardon, den Dësch ass reservéiert.Gëtt reservéiert means someone is reserving it right now. To say it is already taken, use ass.
Using sinn with a person who does the action.
Ech sinn d'Fënster zougemaach.Ech hunn d'Fënster zougemaach.When you say who acted, use the perfect with hunn. The state passive has the closed thing as its subject: D'Fënster ass zougemaach.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Finished States: Sinn + Participle, learn The Passive: Ginn + Participle and Participles Used as Adjectives.
Related Patterns
- Perfect Passive: ass ... ginnThe Perfect Passive: Ass ... Ginn
Ass ... ginn reports a finished action, while ass + participle describes a state.
Level 4 - Predicate Adjectives: sinnAdjectives After Sinn
The participle after sinn behaves like an adjective with no ending.
Level 1 - Perfect-Tense Auxiliary: sinnPerfect Tense with Sinn
Looks similar, but there the subject does the action itself.
Level 2 - Irregular Past Participles
Many state passives use irregular participles such as zougemaach.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice State Passive: sinn + Participle in Bubblegum
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