Meaning
Indicates that an action happens to the subject in a passive construction while highlighting a modal nuance such as possibility or necessity.
Primary Function
Expressing passive voice with modal nuance
Communicative Purpose
Describing processes that befall the subject, often with an impersonal or indirect tone
Pattern
lassen; sich; werden
Core Structure
lassen; sich; werden
Função primária
Expressing passive voice with modal nuance
Propósito comunicativo
Describing processes that befall the subject, often with an impersonal or indirect tone
Situações de gatilho
Formelle Berichte, technische Dokumentationen, wissenschaftliche Artikel
Contextos
Schriftliche formelle Kontexte, technische Dokumentation, akademisches Schreiben
Padrão
lassen; sich; werden
Estrutura central
lassen; sich; werden
Slots de substituição
Modal verb or auxiliary verb (e.g., können, müssen), subject, past participle of the main verb
Colocados típicos
- müssen
- können
- sollen
- dürfen
- Partizip II forms like gemacht
- entwickelt
- geschrieben
Substituições comuns
- lassen + sich + Partizip II (without werden) – more neutral form
- werden + Partizip II – standard passive
- können + Partizip II – emphasize possibility
- müssen + Partizip II – express necessity
Erros comuns
Incorrect word order (e.g., *sich lassen werden Partizip II*), missing *sich*, incorrect past participle form
Similar / contraste
werden + Partizip II (standard passive), sich lassen + Infinitiv (possibility passive)
Interferências
German–English transfer: confusion with English ‘let … be …’, mixing up ‘sich lassen’ (possibility) with ‘lassen’ (imperative), and incorrect word order (e.g., *sich lassen werden*).
Família do chunk
- sich lassen + Infinitiv
- werden + Partizip II
- können + Partizip II werden
Nuance
Conveys a nuance of possibility or indirectness compared to the standard passive; often sounds more formal
Efeito pragmático
Creates a detached, objective, or indirect tone, commonly used in formal or technical registers
Dica de memória
sich lassen werden Passiv
Nota
Diese Konstruktion erscheint häufig in Fachtexten und Handbüchern, wobei das Subjekt meist das zu bearbeitende Objekt ist.
Upgrade path
werden + Partizip II (für neutrales Passiv)
Log in to save chunks.