The Passive Voice (worden / zijn)

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The passive voice shifts the focus from the agent (who does the action) to the patient (to whom the action is done). In the present tense, Dutch uses the auxiliary verb 'worden' combined with the past participle (voltooid deelwoord) placed at the end of the clause. Formula: subject + worden + ... + past participle.

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When the focus is on the resulting state or condition of an action that has already been completed, Dutch uses the auxiliary verb 'zijn' combined with the past participle. This is equivalent to 'is + past participle' in English when describing a finished result.

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To express a passive action in the past, use the past tense forms of 'worden' ('werd' for singular, 'werdden' for plural) plus the past participle at the end. This corresponds to English 'was/were + past participle'.

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To describe a state resulting from a completed action in the past, use the past tense of 'zijn' ('was' / 'waren') combined with the past participle. This describes a condition that existed at a certain moment in the past.

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The present perfect passive is formed using 'zijn' as the auxiliary verb, followed by the past participle of the main verb, and ending with 'geweest'. Formula: subject + is/zijn + [past participle] + geweest.

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To express that something had been done in the past before another past event occurred, use the past perfect passive. Formula: subject + was/waren + [past participle] + geweest.

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When modal verbs are combined with a passive voice, the modal verb is conjugated in the finite position, while 'worden' and the past participle are sent to the end of the clause in infinitive form. Formula: modal + ... + past participle + worden.

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Intransitive verbs (verbs that cannot take a direct object, like 'lachen', 'werken', 'dansen') can still be made passive in Dutch using the dummy subject 'er'. This creates an impersonal passive construction focusing on the action itself rather than a patient.

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To specify who performs the action in a passive sentence, use 'door' for persons and active causes, and 'met' for instruments or tools used to accomplish the action.

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In Dutch subordinate clauses, all verbs move to the very end of the clause. For a passive sentence, this means the past participle and the auxiliary verb ('worden' or 'zijn') cluster at the end, usually with the auxiliary verb coming last.

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While the passive voice is common, Dutch style often prefers using an active sentence with 'men' (one/people), 'je' (you/one), or 'ze' (they) to sound more natural and direct, especially in spoken language.

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Dutch features an experiential passive using 'krijgen' instead of 'worden'. This is used when the indirect object of an active sentence becomes the subject of a passive sentence, emphasizing that the subject experiences or receives the action.