The Passive Without a Subject

Level 4

Use gëtt + participle with no subject to say that an activity happens: Hei gëtt net gefëmmt. (There is no smoking here.)

How It Works

1. How it is built
Take a passive with ginn and leave out the subject. In the present, the verb is always the singular gëtt, because there is no subject to agree with:

  • Hei gëtt net gefëmmt. (There is no smoking here.)
  • Samschdes gëtt gedanzt. (On Saturday there is dancing.)
  • Méindes gëtt net geschafft. (There is no work on Mondays.)

This works with verbs used without an object, such as fëmmen, danzen, schaffen, feieren and schwätzen.

2. Who fills the first place?
The verb must stay in second place. Usually a place or time word comes first. If nothing else is there, et takes that place:

  • Et gëtt gemonkelt, datt de Chef ophält. (Rumor has it that the boss is quitting.)

As soon as another word comes first, et disappears: Hei gëtt net gefëmmt, not Hei gëtt et net gefëmmt. See Putting Something Else First.

3. A strong announcement
It can also sound like a friendly order to a group: Haut gëtt gefeiert! (Today we celebrate!) Elo gëtt gedanzt! (Now everyone dances!)

4. In subordinate clauses and other tenses

  • At the end of a subordinate clause: Du weess jo, datt hei net gefëmmt gëtt.
  • In the past, with gouf: Op der Hochzäit gouf bis moies gedanzt.
  • With a modal verb: Hei däerf net gefëmmt ginn. See The Passive With Modal Verbs.

5. Another way to say it
You can say the same thing with een: Hei fëmmt een net. The passive sounds more like a rule or a general fact.

Examples (6)

  1. Hei gëtt net gefëmmt.

    There is no smoking here.

    Hei fills the first place, so there is no et.

  2. Samschdes gëtt gedanzt.

    On Saturday there is dancing.

  3. Haut gëtt gefeiert!

    Today we celebrate!

    Used as a cheerful announcement to everyone present.

  4. Et gëtt gemonkelt, datt de Chef ophält.

    Rumor has it that the boss is quitting.

    Nothing else comes first, so et fills the first place.

  5. Du weess jo, datt hei net gefëmmt gëtt.

    You know there is no smoking here.

    In the datt clause, gëtt goes to the end.

  6. Op der Hochzäit gouf bis moies gedanzt.

    At the wedding, people danced until the morning.

    Gouf is the past form of the passive helper.

Common Mistakes

  • Making the verb plural because many people take part.

    Samschdes gi gedanzt.
    Samschdes gëtt gedanzt.

    There is no subject, so the verb is always the singular gëtt.

  • Keeping et when another word already comes first.

    Hei gëtt et net gefëmmt.
    Hei gëtt net gefëmmt.

    Et only fills an empty first place. When hei stands first, et is left out.

How It Connects

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

The Passive Without a SubjectLevel 4

Learn This First

Before The Passive Without a Subject, learn The Passive: Ginn + Participle.

Words in This Pattern