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. 

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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.

2. Nun muss ich die Äpfel schälen und schneiden.

3. Er muss die Maske überall tragen.

On Yabla German, you can find many videos featuring German-speaking scientists, environmentalists, and citizens who are very concerned about the Earth's future:

Das Eis am Nord- und Südpol schmilzt, der Meeresspiegel steigt.

The ice at the North and South Pole is melting, the sea level is rising.

Caption 31, OroVerde - Regenwald schützen: CO₂, Regenwald und Klimaschutz

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Willi, machst du dir auch manchmal Gedanken darüber, ob unsere wertvolle Natur irgendwann Opfer einer immer intensiveren Landwirtschaft, ausgerichtet auf Gewinnmaximierung wird?

Willi, do you ever worry about whether our precious nature will eventually become the victim of increasingly intensive agriculture geared towards maximizing profit?

Captions 60-63, Umwelt und Natur: Wo sind all die Bienen hin?

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To engage with a German perspective on the situation, you will need specific vocabulary related to problems like those mentioned above, but also related to steps we can take individually and collectively. First of all, there are the acts of recycling and paying attention to what we as individuals eat and consume:

In Heidelberg wird der Müll in verschiedene Gruppen getrennt, damit das, was recycelt werden kann, wiederverwertet werden kann, auch wieder wirklich wiederverwertet wird.

In Heidelberg, the garbage is separated into different groups, so that that which can be recycled, can be re-used, also really gets re-used.

Captions 14-16, Mülltrennung in Heidelberg

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Bio statt Agrarindustrie. Umweltschonend angebaut ohne Chemie mit niedrigem Energieverbrauch und gentechfrei.

Organic instead of the agriculture industry. Environmentally friendly without chemicals, with low energy use and free of genetic engineering.

Captions 33-34, Nachhaltige Ernährung: Animation

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Then there are the investments that need to be made in green energy by cities and countries:

Um etwas gegen die Klimaerwärmung zu tun, müssen wir in Deutschland aus der Braunkohle aussteigen.

In order to do something against global warming, we have to phase out brown coal in Germany.

Caption 36, WWF Deutschland Klimawandel hautnah: Was sind die Auswirkungen?

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Wir müssen jetzt in erneuerbare Energien, in... in Energieeffizienz investieren.

We must now invest in renewable energies, in... in energy efficiency.

Caption 19, Die Insel Fehmarn - Schlauchboote gegen den Atom-Irrsinn

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Also, hundert Prozent Ökostrom, können wir das hinkriegen? Das geht.

So, one hundred percent green electricity, can we do that? It's possible.

Caption 11, Terra X - Ohne Kohle und Atom - Geht uns der Strom aus?

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In all of this, the concept of "sustainability" remains the guiding principle. While the word is sometimes misused or even exploited, it is still the central focus of many concerted efforts.

Heute wird Nachhaltigkeit als ein Gesamtkonzept angesehen.

Today, sustainability is seen as a global concept.

Caption 17, Erklärvideos - Nachhaltigkeit einfach erklärt

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Further Learning
If you didn't catch our previous newsletter on vocabulary related to the climate crisis, have a look on our lessons page. Watch any of the videos above in their entirety on Yabla German, or select the category "Environment" to learn even more!