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Short    Building Sentences 16, Word Order: The Passive Voice
Read and listen to the examples below to memorize the patterns (De) lijdende vorm ['suffering form'] - the passive voice active: Ik verf het huis I'm painting the house passive: Het huis wordt geverfd The house is being painted Het huis wordt door mij geverfd The house is painted by me 'Door' is the agent of the passive voice in Dutch ‑>> Dutch uses the auxiliary verb worden 2 for the passive voice: simple present tense ik word jij wordt hij wordt wij worden jullie worden zij worden U wordt simple present question mode word ik? word jij? wordt hij? worden wij? worden jullie? worden zij? wordt U? simple past tense ik werd jij werd hij werd wij werden jullie werden zij werden U werd Two or three problems 1-2. English uses 'to be' as the auxiliary verb for the passive voice, with a past participle, while Dutch uses zijn (otherwise translated as 'to be') as the auxiliary verb for the perfect tenses of some verbs, also with a past participle. 3. In the passive voice, the past participle geworden  is dropped. Hij wordt door een wesp gestoken! 'He is being stung by a wasp!' - right this moment Hij is door een wesp gestoken geworden 'He has been stung by a wasp' - some time ago Note the different use of 'is'  in English and Dutch and how 'is' and 'zijn'  here are often better translated as 'has been' or 'have been.' geboren worden 2 to be born Hij werd geboren in Rotterdam 2 3 He was born in Rotterdam Ze is op Kerstdag geboren geworden 2 She [has been] was born on Christmas Day Ik ben in Nederland geboren geworden I [have been] was born in Holland 'Ik ben geboren'  is not a simple present but a present perfect tense Examples De bal wordt geschopt The ball is kicked De bal werd geschopt The ball was kicked De bal wordt in het doel geschoten 2 The ball is shot into the goal Ik word geplaagd 2 1. I'm teased 2. I'm tormented Ik werd afgeleid 2 I was distracted Er wordt gebeld 2 [There is a ring] - 'The bell is rung' - There is someone at the door Werd dat verwacht? 2 3 Was that expected? De marechaussee werd ingezet 2 3 4 The military police was deployed, put into action Ik word geschopt door Jan I am kicked by Jan An often-heard complaint: "Ik word geleefd." [I am lived] ~ 'I have no life of my own.' 'Je wordt geflest waar je bij staat' 2 3 (saying) You're being cheated [in your presence] bare-facedly Het kan niet ontkend worden 2 It cannot be denied Mijn fiets is gestolen geworden My bike was stolen ik heb geholpen 2 I have helped, assisted ik ben geholpen geworden 2 I was helped, I have been helped, I was attended to Ik heb gevraagd 2 I have asked - I have put a question Ik ben gevraagd geworden 2 I was asked - to perform a task, or fill a position or job Ik heb gegeten I have eaten The ghost of a cow or pig could say: Ik ben gegeten geworden I was eaten Ik werd teleurgesteld 2 3 I was disappointed Ik ben teleurgesteld geworden 2 I'm disappointed, I have been disappointed Er worden fouten gemaakt 2 Mistakes are made Er is een fout gemaakt geworden 2 3 A mistake was made Ik werd verrast door onweer 2 I was unpleasantly surprised by, 'caught in a thunderstorm' 'Aanstoot wordt genomen, niet   gegeven' 2 3 Offense is taken, not given 'Worden' 2 can also mean 'to become' and in that use the past participle geworden 2 is not dropped 't Wordt laat 2 It's getting late Ik werd ziek van de herrie 2 I got sick from the loud noise, the loud noise made me sick Opeens werd 't stil Suddenly it became quiet Ik word er misselijk van 2 3 It makes me sick, it gives me nausea "Ik word niet goed" (2) [I'm getting unwell] I'm going to throw up Hij is leraar geworden 2 3 4 He's become a teacher Is het erger geworden? 2 Did it get worse? 't Wordt steeds erger 2 3 It's getting worse and worse Wat is er van hem geworden? Whatever has become of him? 'Native Language Interference' To me as a Dutchman, 'The house is painted'  feels like 'Het huis is geverfd geworden,' meaning it happened already, while the English means the painting is going on right now. Het huis wordt wit geverfd The house is being painted white Het huis is wit geverfd geworden The house [has been] was painted white wordt vervolgd to be continued The Passive Voice Full Page More 'Worden'  as 'to Become' Dutch Verbs taking 'zijn'  in the Perfect Tenses Shorts      More Previous / Next      email - Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2025. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed, or hotlinked to. Gij zult niet stelen 'Thou shalt not steal'