Passive voice with modal verbs (e.g., "es muss gemacht werden" = "it must be done", "konnte getan werden" = "could be done")

Passive voice with modal verbs (German examples: "es muss gemacht werden", "konnte getan werden")

What does "passive with modals" mean?

The passive voice (Vorgangspassiv) in German focuses on the action or the thing that receives the action rather than on who performs it. When you add a modal verb (müssen, können, dürfen, sollen, wollen, mögen), you add a layer of meaning such as necessity, ability, permission, obligation or desire. The passive construction still uses the past participle (Partizip II) of the main verb together with the auxiliary werden, and the modal modifies that construction.

Examples:
Die Tür muss geschlossen werden. — The door must be closed.
Das Problem kann gelöst werden. — The problem can be solved.
Die Datei darf nicht gelöscht werden. — The file may not be deleted / is not allowed to be deleted.

When and why do we use the passive with modals?

- To avoid mentioning the agent (who does the action): "Der Bericht muss geschrieben werden." (Who writes it is not important.)
- For instructions, rules or formal statements: "Der Antrag muss unterschrieben werden." (The form must be signed.)
- To emphasize necessity, possibility or permission without naming the doer: "Die Medikamente dürfen nicht verändert werden." (The medication must not be altered.)
- For impersonal/general statements: "Es muss etwas getan werden." (Something must be done.)

How is it formed? Basic rules and word order

Basic structure in main clauses

Present (simple):
Modal (conjugated) + Partizip II + werden (infinitive)

Examples:
Die Fenster müssen geputzt werden. — The windows must be cleaned.
Die Gäste sollen eingeladen werden. — The guests should be invited.
Das Paket kann morgen geliefert werden. — The parcel can be delivered tomorrow.

Word order note: the finite modal sits in second position in a main clause; the Partizip II + werden go to the end.

Questions and negation

Question (invert subject and modal):
Muss das Auto repariert werden? — Must the car be repaired?

Negation (nicht):
Die Hausaufgaben müssen nicht gemacht werden. — The homework does not have to be done.
Placement matters: "nicht" usually comes before the infinitival cluster at the sentence end when you negate the whole action.

Subordinate clauses

In subordinate clauses the finite modal moves to the very end. The end-cluster is: Partizip II + werden + modal (finite).

Example:
Ich glaube, dass das Problem gelöst werden kann. — I believe that the problem can be solved.

Tenses: how to form passive with modals

Present (Präsens)
Modal (present) + Partizip II + werden

Die Aufgabe muss erledigt werden. — The task must be done.

Simple past (Präteritum)
Modal (preterite) + Partizip II + werden

Gestern musste das Auto repariert werden. — Yesterday the car had to be repaired.
Das Problem konnte gelöst werden. — The problem could be solved.

Present perfect (Perfekt) — the double infinitive
When you form the Perfekt with a modal + infinitive, German uses a double (or triple) infinitive construction. For passive + modal the standard pattern is:
Haben (conjugated) + Partizip II (main verb) + werden + modal (infinitive)

Example:
Die Software hat installiert werden müssen. — The software has had to be installed. (literally: has installed be must)

Note: Perfects of passive without a modal use sein + Partizip II + worden (e.g. "Der Brief ist geschrieben worden"). But if a modal is present, the auxiliary is usually haben and you keep the infinitives at the end.

Past perfect (Plusquamperfekt)
Hatte/haben + Partizip II + werden + modal (infinitive)

Die Aufgabe hatte erledigt werden müssen. — The task had had to be done.

Future I (Futur I)
Werden (conjugated) + Partizip II + werden + modal (infinitive)

Die Arbeiten werden erledigt werden müssen. — The work will have to be done.

Konjunktiv II (polite / hypothetical)
Modal (Konjunktiv II) + Partizip II + werden

Das müsste erledigt werden. — That would / should have to be done.
Das könnte gemacht werden. — That could be done.

Impersonal passive: "Es muss getan werden"

When there is no explicit subject, German often uses the impersonal passive. This keeps the sentence general and avoids mentioning an actor.

Es muss etwas getan werden. — Something must be done.
Es kann nicht ausgeschlossen werden, dass... — It cannot be ruled out that...

You can often express the same idea actively with "man" (one/people): "Man muss etwas tun." But passive sounds more formal and objective.

Expressing the agent: "von" and "durch"

If you want to say who did the action, use von + Dative (or durch to emphasize an instrument or cause):

Der Brief muss von dem Chef unterschrieben werden. — The letter must be signed by the boss.
Die Verletzungen konnten durch schnelle Hilfe behandelt werden. — The injuries could be treated through quick help.

Action passive (Vorgangspassiv) vs state passive (Zustandspassiv) — common confusions

- Vorgangspassiv (action): werden + Partizip II. Focus on the action: "Die Tür wird geschlossen" (The door is being closed).
- Zustandspassiv (state/result): sein + Partizip II. Focus on the result/state: "Die Tür ist geschlossen" (The door is closed).

With modals the difference matters:

Die Tür muss geschlossen werden. — Someone must close the door. (action)
Die Tür muss geschlossen sein. — The door must be in a closed state. (it ought to be closed now)

To express a past assumption you can combine modal + passive perfect: "Es muss bereits gemacht worden sein." — It must already have been done.

Common mistakes — and how to avoid them

- Forgetting "werden" at the end:
Wrong: "Die Arbeit muss gemacht."
Correct: "Die Arbeit muss gemacht werden."

- Using the wrong auxiliary in the perfect with a modal:
Wrong: "Die Arbeit ist gemacht worden müssen."
Correct: "Die Arbeit hat gemacht werden müssen." (or, more naturally, rephrase)

- Wrong word order in subordinate clauses:
Wrong: "..., weil die Arbeit muss gemacht werden."
Correct: "..., weil die Arbeit gemacht werden muss."

- Confusing negations:
"Das muss nicht gemacht werden." = it is not necessary to do it.
"Das darf nicht gemacht werden." = it is not allowed to do it.
Pay attention which part (necessity vs permission) you are negating.

- Misplacing "nicht" inside the final infinitive cluster (it must come before that cluster if you negate the whole action):
Wrong: "Die Arbeit muss gemacht nicht werden."
Correct: "Die Arbeit muss nicht gemacht werden."

Useful example sentences with different modals

Müssen (necessity / obligation)
Die Prüfung muss bestanden werden. — The exam must be passed.
Gestern musste das Auto repariert werden. — Yesterday the car had to be repaired.
Die Aufgabe hat erledigt werden müssen. — The task has had to be done.

Können (ability / possibility)
Das Problem kann gelöst werden. — The problem can be solved.
Das Problem konnte gestern gelöst werden. — The problem could be solved yesterday.
Das Problem hat gelöst werden können. — The problem has been able to be solved.
Das Problem wird gelöst werden können. — The problem will be able to be solved.

Dürfen (permission)
Die Datei darf nicht gelöscht werden. — The file may not be deleted.
Die Tür durfte nicht geöffnet werden. — The door was not allowed to be opened.

Sollen (expectation / instruction)
Der Bericht soll bis morgen eingereicht werden. — The report should be submitted by tomorrow.
Der Bericht sollte gestern eingereicht werden. — The report was supposed to be submitted yesterday.

Wollen (rare / idiomatic)
Das will gut überlegt werden. — That needs to be thought through. (idiomatic)

Konjunktiv II (polite / hypothetical)
Das müsste repariert werden. — That should / would have to be repaired.
Das könnte getan werden. — That could be done.

Stylistic alternatives and helpful patterns

- Active with "man": "Man muss die Fenster putzen." — common in spoken German when you want a simpler sentence.
- "Sich lassen" or "lassen" constructions as alternatives: "Das Problem lässt sich lösen." — The problem can be solved (more idiomatic in many contexts).
- Use rephrasing for heavy perfect forms: instead of "Die Aufgabe hat erledigt werden müssen," you might say "Man hat die Aufgabe erledigen müssen" or use a clearer active form.

Glossary

Partizip II (past participle) — the form like "gemacht", "geöffnet", "geschrieben".
Werden (auxiliary for action passive) — used to form the Vorgangspassiv.
Sein (auxiliary for state passive) — used to describe a resulting state (Zustandspassiv).
Modal verbs — verbs like müssen, können, dürfen, sollen, wollen, mögen that express necessity/possibility/permission/etc.
Double infinitive — a structure that appears in perfect tenses with modals, where infinitives appear together at the end (e.g. "...werden müssen").
Impersonal passive — passive without a real subject (often uses "es" or no explicit subject).

Quick checklist for forming passive with modals

1) Decide if you need the action passive (use werden) or the state passive (use sein).
2) Put the modal in the correct tense and mood (present, preterite, Konjunktiv II, etc.).
3) In a main clause: Modal (finite in 2nd position) + Partizip II + werden at the end.
4) In perfect tenses with a modal: use haben + Partizip II + werden + modal (infinitive).
5) Use "von"/"durch" to express the agent if necessary.
6) Watch "nicht" placement: it usually comes before the final infinitive cluster when negating the action.

If you follow these patterns and check word order carefully, you can form and understand passive sentences with modals reliably. When a construction sounds heavy (especially in the perfect), consider a natural rephrasing (active with "man", "lassen", or "sich lassen").