Passive Alternatives in German

Overview

While the werden-passive is the most well-known way to express passive meaning in German, it is far from the only option. At the C1 level, you are expected to recognize and use several alternative constructions that convey passive-like meaning without using werden + past participle. These alternatives often sound more natural, more concise, or more appropriate for specific registers than the standard passive.

The main passive alternatives (Passiversatzformen) include: the pronoun man (one/people), sich lassen + infinitive (can be done), sein + zu + infinitive (is to be done), and adjectives ending in -bar or -lich (doable, solvable). Each has its own nuance, and choosing the right one is a mark of advanced German proficiency.

These constructions are important not just for style but for practical communication. In spoken German, passive alternatives are often preferred over the formal werden-passive. A German speaker is more likely to say Das lässt sich machen (That can be done) than Das kann gemacht werden in everyday conversation.

How It Works

Overview of passive alternatives

Construction	Structure	Example	Meaning
man	man + active verb	Man spricht hier Deutsch.	German is spoken here.
sich lassen	sich lassen + infinitive	Das lässt sich machen.	That can be done.
sein + zu + Inf.	sein + zu + infinitive	Das ist nicht zu übersehen.	That cannot be overlooked.
-bar adjective	Stem + -bar	Das Problem ist lösbar.	The problem is solvable.
-lich adjective	Stem + -lich	Das ist verständlich.	That is understandable.
Reflexive	sich + verb	Die Tür öffnet sich.	The door opens.
bekommen-passive	bekommen + PP	Er bekommt das Buch geschenkt.	He is given the book.

Detailed explanations

man (impersonal pronoun)

• Replaces passive when the agent is general/unspecified
• Man sagt, dass... = It is said that...
• Always takes third person singular verb
• Cannot be used in accusative or dative directly (use einen/einem for those cases)

sich lassen + infinitive

• Implies possibility (can be done)
• Das lässt sich erklären. = That can be explained.
• More conversational than kann... werden

sein + zu + infinitive

• Can express possibility or necessity depending on context
• Der Bericht ist bis Freitag abzugeben. = The report is to be submitted by Friday. (necessity)
• Das ist leicht zu verstehen. = That is easy to understand. (possibility)

-bar / -lich adjectives

• Express possibility of the action being done
• machbar (doable), trinkbar (drinkable), essbar (edible)
• verständlich (understandable), erklärlich (explainable), unzerstörlich (indestructible)

Examples in Context

German	English	Note
Das lässt sich machen.	That can be done.	sich lassen — possibility
Das ist nicht zu übersehen.	That cannot be overlooked.	sein + zu — impossibility
Das Problem ist lösbar.	The problem is solvable.	-bar adjective
Man sollte mehr Sport treiben.	One should do more sports.	man — general advice
Die Tür öffnet sich automatisch.	The door opens automatically.	Reflexive alternative
Der Termin ist noch zu bestätigen.	The appointment still needs to be confirmed.	sein + zu — necessity
Diese Aufgabe ist leicht zu bewältigen.	This task is easy to manage.	sein + zu — with ease modifier
Man darf hier nicht rauchen.	One may not smoke here. / Smoking is not permitted here.	man with modal verb
Das Wasser ist trinkbar.	The water is drinkable.	-bar adjective
Die Ergebnisse lassen sich schnell zusammenfassen.	The results can be summarized quickly.	sich lassen in formal text
Er bekommt das Essen gebracht.	He gets the food brought to him.	bekommen-passive
So etwas erklärt sich von selbst.	Something like that explains itself.	Reflexive

Common Mistakes

Using man in cases requiring einen/einem

• Wrong: Das hilft man nicht. (dative needed)
• Right: Das hilft einem nicht. (That doesn't help one.)
• Why: Man is nominative only. For accusative contexts, use einen; for dative, use einem.

Confusing the meaning of sein + zu + infinitive

• Ambiguous: Das ist zu machen.
• Could mean: That can be done (possibility) OR That must be done (necessity).
• Tip: Context and modifiers determine the meaning. Das ist leicht zu machen = possibility. Das ist sofort zu machen = necessity.

Overusing man in formal writing

• Informal: Man hat festgestellt, dass...
• More formal: Es wurde festgestellt, dass... or Es ließ sich feststellen, dass...
• Why: While man is perfectly correct, formal academic and legal writing often prefers werden-passive or sich lassen constructions for a more impersonal tone.

Creating non-existent -bar adjectives

• Wrong: Das ist schlafbar. (sleepable?)
• Right: Hier kann man gut schlafen. (One can sleep well here.)
• Why: The -bar suffix generally only works with transitive verbs. Intransitive verbs like schlafen do not form -bar adjectives. Stick to established forms or check a dictionary.

Usage Notes

The choice among passive alternatives depends heavily on register and context. In casual spoken German, man and sich lassen are by far the most common: Man sagt..., Das lässt sich machen... In formal written German, sein + zu + infinitive and the standard werden-passive dominate.

The bekommen-passive (also called the recipient passive or Rezipientenpassiv) is characteristic of spoken German, especially in northern and central Germany: Ich bekomme das Buch geschenkt (I am given the book as a gift). Some prescriptive grammarians consider it informal, but it is widely used and accepted.

-bar adjectives are extremely productive in German. New ones are coined regularly, especially in technical and business language: skalierbar (scalable), reproduzierbar (reproducible), recycelbar (recyclable). If you see an unfamiliar -bar word, you can usually deduce its meaning from the verb stem.

Understanding passive alternatives is not just about grammar — it is about style. Using the same werden-passive repeatedly makes German text feel heavy and monotonous. Skilled writers mix passive alternatives with active constructions and the werden-passive to create varied, readable prose.

Practice Tips

1. Take five sentences in the werden-passive and rewrite each one using a different passive alternative: man, sich lassen, sein + zu, a -bar adjective, and a reflexive construction. Compare the nuances.
2. When reading German texts, flag every passive construction (both werden-passive and alternatives). Note which alternatives the author prefers and in which contexts. This builds your stylistic intuition.
3. In conversation practice, challenge yourself to avoid the werden-passive entirely for a session. Use man, sich lassen, or -bar adjectives instead. This forces you to internalize the alternatives.

Related Concepts

• Passive Voice (Past) — the werden-passive in past tenses that these constructions can replace