Dutch grammar: passieve vorm (lijdende vorm)

What this grammar point covers

The passive voice (lijdende vorm) in Dutch is used when the focus is on the action or what happens to something, rather than who does it.

When to use it

Use the passive voice in Dutch when you don't know who does the action, the person is not important, or you want to focus on the action or result.

Key forms

• Worden + past participle (vooral voor de tegenwoordige tijd): Het boek wordt gelezen.
• Zijn + past participle (vooral voor de voltooide tijd): Het boek is gelezen.

Examples

Tips

• Remember to use 'worden' for present/future and 'zijn' for completed actions.
• The person who does the action (the agent) can be added with 'door', but it's often left out.
• The verb changes position: the past participle comes at the end.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some verbs do not have a passive form (like 'zijn', 'worden', 'hebben').
• With modal verbs, the structure can be more complex (e.g., 'Het boek moet gelezen worden.').