B2 · 5/7 #PASSIVERSATZ

Passive alternatives

die Passiversatzformen

Passive alternatives are German structures such as sich lassen, -bar and sein + zu that give the meaning of a passive sentence (“can be done”, “must be done”) without using werden.

Germans got tired of building the Passiv (werden + Partizip II) over and over, so they came up with shorter ways to say “can be done” and “must be done”.

Contents

The big idea: ways out of the Passiv

This builds on

The passive voice (Passiv)

You already know how to build a Passiv sentence (Das Auto wird repariert). At B2 level, Passiv sentences that express possibility (können) and obligation (müssen) are turned into shorter, slicker structures.

ShortcutIf something “can be done”, use sich lassen or the ending -bar. sein + zu + infinitive mostly means obligation in official or instruction language; with words like leicht/schwer/kaum/gut it expresses possibility.

Das Problem kann gelöst werden.

The problem can be solved. (classic Passiv)

Das Problem lässt sich lösen.

The problem can be solved. (alternative 1)

Das Problem ist lösbar.

The problem is solvable. (alternative 2)

You already do this in English

English works the same way. Instead of “This water can be drunk” you say “This water is drinkable”, and instead of “This book can be read” you say “This book reads well.” You swap the passive verb for an adjective or an active-looking verb and keep the meaning.

Passive sentence	English alternative	German alternative
The water can be drunk.	The water is drinkable.	Das Wasser ist trinkbar.
The book can be read.	The book reads easily.	Das Buch lässt sich lesen.
The bill must be paid.	The bill is due.	Die Rechnung ist zu bezahlen.

Notice: none of the alternatives contains “werden”. They all look active, but the meaning is passive.

Das lässt sich machen.

That can be arranged / done.

Table: the three main formulas

The whole Passiversatz topic revolves around these three structures:

Meaning	Formula	Example
Possible (kann ... werden)	sich lassen + Infinitiv	Das Auto lässt sich leicht reparieren.
Possible (kann ... werden)	sein + Adjektiv(-bar / -lich)	Das Auto ist reparierbar.
Possible (kann ... werden)	sein + zu + Infinitiv	Der Fehler ist kaum zu sehen.
Obligatory (muss ... werden)	sein + zu + Infinitiv	Die Aufgabe ist zu lösen.

The ending “-bar” works just like English “-able” (doable, drinkable).

Dieser Text ist schwer zu verstehen.

This text is hard to understand. (It’s difficult to be understood.)

The obligation vs. possibility trap

Das Haus muss renoviert werden.

The house has to be renovated.

Trap

Misreading sein + zu

When learners see sein + zu, they usually assume it means “can be done” (können). But when an authority or an institution uses it, it expresses a firm obligation (müssen).

Die Unterlagen sind einzureichen werden.

an extra werden

Die Unterlagen sind einzureichen.

The documents must be submitted. (correct)

In rules, instructions and invoices this structure is always an order. Occasionally, especially with adjectives like “schwer/leicht”, it can also express “possibility” (es ist schwer zu glauben = it’s hard to believe).

Practice now

What you just learned

Diese Pilze kann man essen. -> Diese Pilze sind ___.
Show the answer
essbar — The “can be done” adjective form of essen is essbar (edible).
“Das Formular ist auszufüllen” only says that it is possible to fill in the form, not that it is required.
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False. “sein + zu + infinitive” expresses a firm obligation (müssen) in official contexts. So the form has to be filled in.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
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Die Aufgabe lässt sich schnell erledigen. — The sich lassen structure always needs the plain infinitive of the verb (erledigen).

The part nobody tells you: “man” saves lives

Books always teach you “sich lassen” and “sein zu”. But what Germans actually use most in everyday speech to avoid the Passiv is one tiny word: man.

Hier darf nicht geraucht werden.

Passiv — correct, but long and stiff (you see it on signs).

Hier darf man nicht rauchen.

Active + man (short and natural).

man means “one, someone, people”. Even though it gets translated as “Smoking is not allowed here”, the German is completely active. When you get stuck while speaking, reach for “man” straight away.

06Build

Build the sentence yourself

Tap the words and put them in order. This is the hardest part of German — and there are no options to pick from, you build it.

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Tips

Know this before the test

The core of the topic in three lines, then the mistakes people make most often.

sich lassen = kann ... werden
The most natural way to say that something can be done.
Das Fenster lässt sich öffnen.
sein + zu = muss (or kann) ... werden
In official or instruction language mostly obligation; with words like leicht/schwer/kaum/gut it expresses possibility.
Die Rechnung ist zu bezahlen.
The ending -bar makes an adjective from a verb
Adding -bar to the verb stem and using it with sein gives a passive meaning.
Das Wasser ist trinkbar.

Das Auto lässt sich repariert.
Das Auto lässt sich reparieren.
The sich lassen structure always takes the plain infinitive (Infinitiv), never the Partizip II.
Die Aufgabe ist gelöst zu werden.
Die Aufgabe ist zu lösen.
werden is not used in the sein + zu structure. Just zu + infinitive is enough.

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Test yourself

Tap an answer — we will look at why together.

Der Fehler kann leicht behoben werden. -> Der Fehler ___ leicht beheben.

The mistake can easily be fixed.

For the meaning “kann ... werden” (possibility) you use lassen + sich + infinitive.

Die Rechnung muss bis Freitag bezahlt werden. -> Die Rechnung bis Freitag zu bezahlen.

The bill must be paid by Friday.

The meaning “muss ... werden” (obligation) is expressed in official language with sein + zu + infinitive.

Das Wasser aus diesem Fluss kann man nicht trinken. -> Das Wasser ist nicht .

The water from this river can’t be drunk / is not drinkable.

We express the “can be done” quality of something as an adjective, with the ending -bar.

Which sentence means the same as “Das Dokument muss unterschrieben werden” (The document has to be signed)?

Passiv sentences that express obligation are replaced by sein + zu + infinitive.

Das Problem sich nicht so einfach lösen.

The problem can’t be solved that easily.

The sich lassen structure. The subject is das Problem, so it is lässt.

Build the sentence: The text is easy to read.

Tap the pieces to build the sentence

Der Text ist gut lesbar. Adjectives with sein and the ending -bar are used instead of the Passiv (Passiversatz) to mean “can be done”.

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