When the grammatical subject performs the action, the verb is in the active voice (Aktiv). When the subject is the object of the action, the verb is in the passive voice (Passiv).
Passive voice forms of a given verb are formed with the help of the auxiliary verb werden and the past participle (Partizip Perfekt) of the verb. The verb werden expresses the grammatical categories of tense, number, and person, while the participle carries the semantic meaning.
In German, passive voice is used significantly more often than in Bulgarian. Passive constructions are considered a characteristic of business style. When translating from German to Bulgarian, it is desirable that passive constructions are not always translated directly.
Examples:
Active Present: Die Touristen kaufen Souvenirs.
Passive Present: Souvenirs werden von den Touristen gekauft.
Active Past: Die Touristen kauften Souvenirs.
Passive Past: Souvenirs wurden von den Touristen gekauft.
Active Perfect: Die Touristen haben Souvenirs gekauft.
Passive Perfect: Souvenirs sind von den Touristen gekauft worden.
Active Future I: Die Touristen werden Souvenirs kaufen.
Passive Future I: Souvenirs werden von den Touristen gekauft werden.
If we transform a sentence from active to passive, the verb tense must remain the same.
Example:
Sie sehen gerade den Film. – Active Present
Der Film wird gerade gesehen. – Passive Present
Er las gestern das Buch. – Active Past
Das Buch wurde gestern gelesen. – Passive Past