PassivPerfektform

PassivPerfektform, commonly called the Perfekt Passiv, is the German passive voice in the perfect tense. It is used to describe a completed action where the emphasis is on the result and the affected object, rather than on who performed the action.

Formation and structure

The Perfekt Passiv is formed with a finite form of sein (present or past tense) as the auxiliary, followed by the past participle of the main verb and the auxiliary participle worden. The usual word order is: finite form of sein + past participle + worden. Examples: Der Brief ist geschrieben worden. Die Tür ist geöffnet worden. In both examples, geschrieben and geöffnet are the Partizip II forms of schreiben and öffnen, and worden is the past participle of werden. If an agent is mentioned, it may appear with von: Der Brief ist von dem Sekretär geschrieben worden.

Usage and nuances

The Perfekt Passiv expresses a completed action with relevance to the present or to a current situation. It is commonly used in spoken German and in written style to report past events from the viewpoint of the affected object. The agent, when specified, usually comes after von and is optional: Der Bericht ist von der Sekretärin geschrieben worden. The Perfekt Passiv contrasts with the Präteritum Passiv (Der Bericht wurde geschrieben), which places emphasis more on the action in the past rather than its present relevance. The passive form is generally applied to transitive verbs that have a direct object in the active voice.

Related forms

There is also the pluperfect passive (Plusquamperfekt Passiv): Der Bericht war geschrieben worden. An infinitive construction, such as “geschrieben worden,” may appear in complex clauses. The Passiv Perfekt form is a standard tool for describing past results within the passive voice in German.