Passive Voice: Process with 'worden' and Result with 'zijn': B1 Dutch grammar lesson

The passive voice, known in Dutch as the lijdende vorm, is a fundamental grammatical structure at B1 level. It shifts the focus of a sentence from the actor (the one performing the action) to the object (the one experiencing or receiving the action). You will encounter this frequently in official and formal texts, such as government regulations, company policies, and academic documents, which demand impersoneel taalgebruik (impersonal language). Understanding the lijdende vorm is essential for Lezen tasks, where you need to correctly interpret complex official texts, and for Schrijven tasks that require a formal, objective tone.

In Dutch, the passive voice is primarily formed using an auxiliary verb (worden or zijn) and a past participle (voltooid deelwoord). The crucial distinction at B1 is knowing when to use worden and when to use zijn.

1. Worden for an Ongoing Process or Action

Use worden when you want to emphasize that an action is currently in progress, describes a general or habitual process, or is yet to be completed. The focus is on the action itself, not its final state.

De nieuwe subsidieaanvraag voor het culturele project wordt momenteel door de gemeente beoordeeld op basis van de ingediende criteria.

The new subsidy application for the cultural project is currently being reviewed by the municipality based on the submitted criteria.

Here, wordt beoordeeld indicates that the review is an ongoing action. It's happening right now.

Alle sollicitaties voor de functie van projectmanager worden zorgvuldig behandeld volgens de interne procedure van ons bedrijf om discriminatie te voorkomen.

All applications for the project manager position are carefully processed according to our company's internal procedure to prevent discrimination.

This describes a general, recurring process. The processing is a habitual action, not a one-time completed event.

2. Zijn for a Resulting State or Completed Action

Use zijn when you want to emphasize that an action has been completed and the object is now in a particular state as a result. The action is finished, and the focus is on the outcome or the new state of affairs.

Het besluit over de toekomstige huisvesting van de studenten is gisteren officieel goedgekeurd door de directie en onmiddellijk op de website gepubliceerd.

The decision about the future student housing was officially approved by the board yesterday and published on the website.

Here, is goedgekeurd highlights the completed approval and the resulting state (approved). is gepubliceerd likewise shows a completed action.

De vacature voor de marketingafdeling is inmiddels vervuld en de selectieprocedure is succesvol afgerond, waardoor we een nieuwe collega kunnen verwelkomen.

The vacancy for the marketing department has now been filled and the selection procedure has been successfully completed, allowing us to welcome a new colleague.

is vervuld and is afgerond both indicate a finished action and a resulting state.

3. Identifying the Agent with door

In both types of passive sentences, if the actor (the one performing the action) is mentioned, it is introduced by the preposition door (by). While the passive voice often omits the agent to maintain impersoneel taalgebruik, it can still be present.

Het historische gebouw in het stadscentrum wordt al maanden gerenoveerd door een gespecialiseerd bouwbedrijf, met respect voor de originele architectuur.

The historic building in the city center has been renovated for months by a specialized construction company, with respect for the original architecture.

Here, door een gespecialiseerd bouwbedrijf clearly identifies the agent performing the renovation.