German · B1 · Family moment
Changes Around Us in German
Use these phrases to help your child understand improvement work around school. The German present process passive focuses on what is being done, rather than who is doing it.
What you'll learn
- Describe school improvement work using werden + Partizip II.
- Use wird with singular subjects and werden with plural subjects.
- Recognize the difference between the present passive and Futur I.
- Understand common words for school facilities and maintenance work.
German phrases for changes around us
Das Schultor wird heute repariert.
The school gate is being repaired today.
Das Schultor is singular, so use wird. Repariert goes at the end.
Dein Klassenzimmer wird diese Woche gestrichen.
Your classroom is being painted this week.
Streichen means to paint walls or rooms. Diese Woche means this week.
Die Tische werden in einen anderen Raum gebracht.
The desks are being moved into another room.
Die Tische is plural, so use werden. In einen anderen Raum describes movement into another room.
Neue Haken für eure Schultaschen werden angebracht.
New hooks are being fitted for your school bags.
Anbringen means to fit or attach. Eure refers to the bags belonging to your child and other children.
Der Schulhof wird nach den Bauarbeiten gereinigt.
The playground is being cleaned after the building work.
Der Schulhof is the school playground or yard. Nach takes the dative: nach den Bauarbeiten.
Die Bücher aus der Schulbibliothek werden heute Vormittag sortiert.
The library books are being sorted this morning.
Heute Vormittag means this morning, during the time before noon.
Die Sportgeräte werden vor deiner AG-Stunde überprüft.
The sports equipment is being checked before your club session.
An AG is a school club or activity group. Sportgeräte is plural in German, although equipment is uncountable in English.
Der neue Fußgängerüberweg vor der Schule wird markiert.
The new crossing is being marked outside the school.
Fußgängerüberweg means pedestrian crossing. Vor der Schule means in front of the school.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
das Schultor; die Schultore
school gate; school gates
A compound of Schule (school) and Tor (gate).
streichen
to paint
Use this for painting walls or rooms. The past participle is gestrichen.
der Haken; die Haken
hook; hooks
The noun has the same form in the singular and plural.
anbringen
to fit; to attach
Useful for hooks, signs and other items fixed in place. The past participle is angebracht.
die Bauarbeiten
building work; construction work
Normally used in the plural: Die Bauarbeiten dauern noch. — The building work is still ongoing.
der Schulhof; die Schulhöfe
school playground or yard; school playgrounds or yards
Use Schulhof for the outdoor area where pupils spend their breaks; Spielplatz usually means a play area with play equipment.
die AG; die AGs
school club or activity group; school clubs or activity groups
Short for Arbeitsgemeinschaft. A Sport-AG is a school sports group.
der Fußgängerüberweg; die Fußgängerüberwege
pedestrian crossing; pedestrian crossings
A crossing with zebra stripes is also commonly called a Zebrastreifen.
Present process passive: werden + Partizip II
Use the present tense of werden plus a past participle to describe what is being done. The thing affected becomes the subject. In a statement, the conjugated form of werden comes second and the participle normally comes last. You do not need to say who does the work.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular subject | singular subject + wird + ... + Partizip II | Das Schultor wird heute repariert. — The school gate is being repaired today. |
| Plural subject | plural subject + werden + ... + Partizip II | Die Tische werden in einen anderen Raum gebracht. — The desks are being moved into another room. |
| Time expression first | time expression + wird/werden + subject + ... + Partizip II | Heute wird das Schultor repariert. — Today the school gate is being repaired. |
Recognizing past participles
Past participles have different patterns. Learn each one with its infinitive. Despite the name, a past participle does not make the passive past tense: wird repariert is present passive.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Regular verb with ge- | reinigen → gereinigt | Der Schulhof wird gereinigt. — The playground is being cleaned. |
| Verb ending in -ieren: no ge- | sortieren → sortiert | Die Bücher werden sortiert. — The books are being sorted. |
| Irregular verb | streichen → gestrichen | Das Klassenzimmer wird gestrichen. — The classroom is being painted. |
| Separable verb | anbringen → angebracht | Neue Haken werden angebracht. — New hooks are being fitted. |
Present passive is not Futur I
Both structures use werden, but the final verb form is different. Present passive uses a past participle; active Futur I uses an infinitive. Present passive can also describe scheduled work in the future when a time expression makes that clear.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present passive | wird + repariert (past participle) | Das Tor wird repariert. — The gate is being repaired. |
| Active Futur I | wird + reparieren (infinitive) | Die Firma wird das Tor reparieren. — The company will repair the gate. |
| Present passive with future reference | wird + morgen + repariert | Das Tor wird morgen repariert. — The gate is being repaired tomorrow. |
More examples
Warum wird das Schultor repariert?
Why is the school gate being repaired?
In a question with warum, wird follows the question word and the participle stays at the end.
Werden die neuen Haken heute angebracht?
Are the new hooks being fitted today?
In a yes/no question, the conjugated verb comes first.
Die Sportgeräte werden überprüft, damit ihr sicher spielen könnt.
The sports equipment is being checked so that you can play safely.
Damit introduces a purpose. In its clause, the conjugated verb könnt goes at the end; ihr addresses the children as a group.