Passive sentences with <i>es</i> and passive alternative forms with <i>man</i>, <i>jemand</i>

The passive voice in German (Passiv) is an important grammar topic that can be confusing for learners. Beyond the standard passive structure, learners may encounter the passive with es, as well as alternative passive structures with man and jemand. Today's article will introduce these.

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***Passive structure: …+ werden +….. Partizip II

Der Student wird von einem Arzt operiert.

(This student is operated on by a doctor.)

1. Passiv mit es

• If the active sentence has no direct object in the Akkusativ, then when converting to the passive, we must use "es" as a dummy subject. The verb in the sentence is conjugated in the third person "es". Other elements such as the indirect object, prepositional phrases, etc., remain unchanged when converting to the passive.

a. Ich helfe ihm (Dativ). (I help him.)

   → Passiv: Es wird ihm (Dativ) geholfen. (He is helped.)

b. Ich sorge gut für alle Gäste. (I take good care of all the guests.)

    → Passiv: Es wird für alle Gäste gut gesorgt. (All the guests are well taken care of.)

• In cases where the active sentence has the indefinite subject "man" and no object, the passive form is the passive with "es".

Man arbeitet. (One works.)

   → Passiv: Es wird gearbeitet. (Work is being done.)

2. Passiv mit man

• A passive sentence can be transformed into an active sentence with "man", but the sentence still carries a passive meaning.

Heute wird das Auto (vom Mechaniker) repariert. (Today the car is repaired by the mechanic.)

= Heute repariert man das Auto. (Today the car is repaired.)

→ The agent with "von" + Dativ is omitted in the sentence with "man" as the subject.- Passive sentences with modal verbs (Modalverben) can also be rewritten as passive-meaning sentences with "man".

Das Paket kann morgen abgeholt werden. (Tomorrow the package will be picked up.)

= Man kann das Paket morgen abholen.

1. Passiv with jemand

• Sometimes the indefinite pronoun "jemand" in an active clause can also be used as a substitute for a passive clause.

Hier wird ein Haus gebaut. (A house is being built here.)

= Hier baut jemand ein Haus. (A house is being built here.)

→ In a sentence with "jemand", the agent causing the action is also omitted.

• In cases where an action applies to everyone in general, "man" (everyone) should be used instead of "jemand" (singular).

Hier darf geparkt werden.

⇏ Hier darf jemand parken. (Someone is allowed to park here.)

→ However, since parking is a right that belongs to everyone, in this case "man" must be used instead of "jemand": Hier darf man parken. (Parking is permitted here.)