The passive voice is used to put the focus of a sentence on the object or the action, and often avoid naming the subject at all. The formation of the German passive voice can be quite confusing, so let's go step by step.
The Vorgangspassiv is formed with the verb werden, which in these cases is not translated as "to become," but instead as "to be." These sentences answer the question of "What is being done [to X]?" The sentences below have the following structure:
Conjugation of werden + past participle
Notice that in the first sentence, the question of who is carrying out the action (making sauerkraut out of cabbage) is left completely unanswered. This is actually the case in the third sentence as well. However, as you can see in the second example, the subject (die Ereignisse) can still be integrated into a sentence in the passive voice by using the preposition von.
Es wird aus Kohl gemacht und es schmeckt sauer.
It is made from cabbage and it tastes sour.
Caption 30, Deutsch mit Eylin: Denk schnell!
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Große Erfindungen werden oft von ungewöhnlichen Ereignissen inspiriert.
Great inventions are often inspired by unusual events.
Caption 3, 200. Geburtstag: Die Geschichte des Fahrrads in 2 Minuten
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Mit dem Handscanner wird jeder Koffer erfasst.
Every suitcase is registered with the handheld scanner.
Caption 40, Ab in den Urlaub: So kommt der Koffer in den Flieger
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A more complex structure is necessary when we ask, for example, "What is/was allowed to be done [to X]?", "What should be done to [X]?", or "What must be done [to X]?" Now werden is kept in the infinitive, and it is the modal verb that is conjugated. The structure for this is:
Conjugated modal verb + past participle + werden
Erst nach seinem Jahrestag im August durfte hier gefischt werden.
Only after its anniversary in August was fishing allowed here.
Caption 8, Alpenseen: Kühle Schönheiten
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Außerdem sollen Lebensmittel ökologisch angebaut werden.
In addition, food should be organically grown.
Caption 25, Erklärvideos Nachhaltigkeit einfach erklärt
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Das heißt also, dass auch das Adjektiv dekliniert werden muss.
So this means that the adjective must also be declined.
Caption 64, Deutsch mit Eylin: Die 4 Fälle
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Further Learning
Try to remove the subject and re-construct these simple sentences using the Vorgangspassiv. Clicking on the sentence will take you to the Yabla German video that contains the answer!
1. Die Leute essen das Gericht gerne mit Kartoffelpüree.
Once you've been speaking a foreign language long enough, you tend to associate the name of something with whatever that name represents, and no longer notice how really strange that name might be. As we know, German tends to string words together to make new words, and many animal names are constructed this way. If we look at the root words of many of these animal names, however, they look pretty odd!
Er spricht das Faultier Sid.
He speaks (the voice-overs for) the sloth Sid.
Caption 6, Rheinmain Szene: Hochheimer Weinfest
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If you combine the adjective faul with das Tier, you have a "lazy animal." That's a pretty logical name for the sloth, which is known for its very slow movements.
Ein fremdes Murmeltier ist ins Revier eingedrungen und wird verjagt.
A strange marmot has intruded into the territory and is chased away.
Caption 36, Alpenseen: Kühle Schönheiten
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In this case, however, it makes less sense. The verb murmeln means "to mumble," thus leaving us with "the mumbling animal." Marmots are not, however, known for mumbling, nor for speaking clearly, either. The name derives from an Old High German word murmunto, which itself is derived from the Latin word for "mountain mouse." That's one big mouse!
Da haben wir aber wirklich Glück gehabt mit der Köchin. Trampeltier. Aber eine gute Köchin.
We were really lucky with the cook. Clumsy oaf. But a good cook.
Captions 36-38, Marga Engel schlägt zurück: Arbeiten für den Feind
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In this case, we are dealing with the slang usage of animal names. Thus the word that is used for a Bactrian (two-humped) camel in formal German is used here to impolitely mean somebody who is clumsy. If you break the word down, the verb trampeln and the noun das Tier are put together to make "trampling animal." But the name actually derives from the dromedary, the one-humped camel, which in Middle High German is tromedar. Say it for a few centuries and eventually it will sound like Trampeltier. Language evolution is grand, isn't it?
Further Learning
Let's conclude the lesson today with the rest of the odd animal names that end with -tier: das Stinktier, das Gürteltier, das Schnabeltier, and das Maultier. Maybe you already know these German animal names, but if you don't, try translating the first half of each word and combining them. Then try and guess what animal is meant! You can also go to Yabla German and watch the videos listed above to find out more about these animals in context.
It has been a somewhat temperamental summer in Germany, but there have certainly already been a number of hot days. Germans flock to rivers, pools, and lakes to swim, not to mention the North Sea and the Baltic Sea! Let's look at the German words for various bodies of water.
Der See ist fast einhundertneunzig Meter tief.
The lake is almost one hundred ninety meters deep.
Caption 5, Alpenseen - Kühle Schönheiten - Part 6
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Achtung: Der See means "the lake," but die See means "the sea." Das Meer is also a common word for "the sea."
Fünf kleine Pinguine schwimmen durch das Meer.
Five little penguins are swimming through the sea.
Caption 22, Kinderlieder zum Mitsingen - Fünf Pinguine
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Like in English, an ocean differs from a sea:
Mein Goldfisch, der heißt Friedolin und wohnt im Ozean.
My goldfish, he's called Friedolin and lives in the ocean.
Caption 25, Pänke - Friedolin
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There are some rivers in Germany that are approved for swimming, but if not you can always go to a swimming pool. In the summer, outdoor pools (Freibäder) are particularly popular.
Der Neckar ist ein Fluss, der durch Tübingen fließt.
The Neckar is a river that flows through Tübingen.
Caption 16, Deutschkurs in Blaubeuren - Der Relativsatz
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Das ist quasi so ein offener Bereich mit einem Schwimmbad...
That is, so to speak, an open area with a swimming pool...
Caption 25, Reisen - Dalís Haus
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Ponds and streams are not as popular for swimming, but we'll include them for the sake of vocabulary expansion!
Es war der Teich und am Rand stand die violette Blume.
It was the pond and at the edge stood the violet flower.
Caption 51, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Jorinde und Joringel
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Bald ist der Bach überschwemmt mit Eiern.
Soon the stream is inundated with eggs.
Caption 25, Alpenseen - Kühle Schönheiten - Part 2
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Further Learning
Make sure you have memorized the gender of these vocabulary words. What do you think are the genders of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea? You can also start learning the German names for famous bodies of water. Can you guess what das Mittelmeer and das Rote Meer are? Look them up on Yabla German!
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