The Blive-Passive for Specific Events
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The S-passive turns active verbs into passive ones by adding an '-s' to the infinitive form.
- Add '-s' to the infinitive: 'at spise' (to eat) becomes 'spises' (is eaten).
- Use it when the action is more important than who performed it.
- It is commonly used in news, instructions, and formal announcements.
S-Passive Formation
| Active Infinitive | S-Passive Form | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
|
at læse
|
læses
|
is read
|
|
at skrive
|
skrives
|
is written
|
|
at tale
|
tales
|
is spoken
|
|
at lukke
|
lukkes
|
is closed
|
|
at sælge
|
sælges
|
is sold
|
|
at finde
|
findes
|
is found
|
Meanings
The S-passive is used to describe actions where the agent (the person doing the action) is unknown, irrelevant, or intentionally omitted.
General Rules/Instructions
Describing how things are done generally.
“Her tales dansk.”
“Bogen læses i skolen.”
News/Formal Reports
Reporting events objectively.
“Mødet afholdes i morgen.”
“Beslutningen tages i dag.”
Reciprocal Actions
Actions done to each other.
“Vi ses i morgen.”
“De krammes ofte.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Infinitive + s
|
Bogen læses.
|
|
Negative
|
Infinitive + s + ikke
|
Bogen læses ikke.
|
|
Question
|
Infinitive + s + subject
|
Læses bogen?
|
|
Reciprocal
|
Infinitive + s
|
Vi ses.
|
|
Past Tense
|
Infinitive + des
|
Bogen læsedes.
|
|
Future
|
vil + blive + past participle
|
Bogen vil blive læst.
|
Espectro de formalidad
Døren lukkes. (General)
Døren bliver lukket. (General)
Vi lukker døren. (General)
Døren er lukket. (General)
S-Passive Functions
Usage
- Regler Rules
- Nyheder News
Social
- Vi ses See you
- Vi hjælpes We help each other
Ejemplos por nivel
Her tales dansk.
Danish is spoken here.
Bogen læses.
The book is read.
Vi ses!
See you!
Døren lukkes.
The door is closed.
Mødet afholdes klokken ti.
The meeting is held at ten.
Reglerne følges altid.
The rules are always followed.
Huset sælges nu.
The house is being sold now.
Mad serveres her.
Food is served here.
Beslutningen tages af ledelsen.
The decision is taken by management.
Problemet løses hurtigt.
The problem is solved quickly.
De krammes hver dag.
They hug each other every day.
Vejret bedømmes som godt.
The weather is judged as good.
Spørgsmålet diskuteres grundigt.
The question is discussed thoroughly.
Resultaterne forventes i morgen.
The results are expected tomorrow.
Vi hjælpes ad med opgaven.
We help each other with the task.
Lovgivningen ændres løbende.
The legislation is changed continuously.
Denne teori betragtes som forældet.
This theory is considered outdated.
Udfordringerne håndteres professionelt.
The challenges are handled professionally.
De ses sjældent i offentligheden.
They are rarely seen in public.
Planen godkendes af bestyrelsen.
The plan is approved by the board.
Det antages, at forslaget vedtages.
It is assumed that the proposal will be adopted.
Sagen undersøges til bunds.
The case is investigated thoroughly.
De forsones efter mange år.
They reconcile after many years.
Dette fænomen observeres ofte.
This phenomenon is often observed.
Fácil de confundir
Learners often use 'blive' when 's' is more natural.
Both use -s.
Overusing passive.
Errores comunes
Bogen bliver læses
Bogen læses
Jeg læses bogen
Bogen læses
Bogen læse
Bogen læses
Bogen læses af mig
Jeg læser bogen
Vi seses
Vi ses
Det lukkes klokken 10
Der lukkes klokken 10
Mødet bliver afholdes
Mødet afholdes
Han seses med hende
Han ses med hende
Bogen blev læses
Bogen læsedes
Det forventes at han kommer
Det forventes, at han kommer
Det observeres at fænomenet sker
Det observeres, at fænomenet sker
De forsones med hinanden
De forsones
Sagen undersøges af politiet
Politiet undersøger sagen
Patrones de oraciones
___ lukkes klokken ___.
___ forventes i ___.
Vi ___ i morgen.
Beslutningen ___ af ___.
Real World Usage
Lukkes kl. 18.
Mødet afholdes i dag.
Vi ses!
Ansøgningen sendes.
Knappen trykkes.
Billedet deles.
Keep it short
Don't over-passive
Use for signs
Reciprocal usage
Smart Tips
Always use the S-passive for instructions.
Use 'Vi ses' instead of 'Vi ser hinanden'.
Use S-passive to sound objective.
Use S-passive for general truths.
Pronunciación
The -s suffix
The -s is pronounced as a sharp /s/ sound.
Statement
Døren lukkes. ↘
Neutral, informative tone.
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
Just add an 'S' to make it 'Silent' (the agent is silent).
Asociación visual
Imagine a person wearing a mask (the agent is hidden) and holding a sign with an 'S' on it.
Rhyme
When the actor is not there, add an S with extra care.
Story
In the city of 'Dansk', everyone is mysterious. They never say who did the action. They just add an 'S' to the end of their verbs. 'Bogen læses' (The book is read), they say, while hiding in the shadows.
Word Web
Desafío
Write 5 signs for your house using the S-passive (e.g., 'Sko tages af').
Notas culturales
In the capital, the S-passive is used very frequently in professional settings.
People in Jutland might prefer active constructions even in formal settings.
Using the S-passive is seen as polite and professional.
The S-passive comes from the Old Norse reflexive pronoun 'sik'.
Inicios de conversación
Hvornår lukkes butikken?
Hvordan forventes resultaterne?
Ses vi i morgen?
Hvordan håndteres problemet?
Temas para diario
Errores comunes
Test Yourself
Døren ___ klokken 20.
Choose the correct passive sentence.
Find and fix the mistake:
Vi seses i morgen.
Vi sælger bogen. ->
The S-passive is used for reciprocal actions.
A: Hvornår ___ mødet? B: Mødet afholdes kl. 10.
lukkes / døren / klokken / 10
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercisesDøren ___ klokken 20.
Choose the correct passive sentence.
Find and fix the mistake:
Vi seses i morgen.
Vi sælger bogen. ->
The S-passive is used for reciprocal actions.
A: Hvornår ___ mødet? B: Mødet afholdes kl. 10.
lukkes / døren / klokken / 10
at tale -> ?
Score: /8
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
No, only when the agent is unknown or irrelevant.
Yes, it is standard in formal writing.
Add 'ikke' after the verb: 'Bogen læses ikke'.
Use '-des': 'Bogen læsedes'.
It is a reciprocal use of the S-passive.
S-passive is more concise and natural for general rules.
Most verbs, yes. Some exceptions exist.
Yes, especially in set phrases like 'Vi ses'.
Scaffolded Practice
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4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
werden-passive
Danish uses a suffix; German uses an auxiliary verb.
se + verb
French uses a separate pronoun; Danish uses a suffix.
se + verb
Spanish 'se' is a pronoun; Danish -s is a suffix.
passive suffix -reru
Japanese suffix is much longer and changes based on conjugation.
passive verb form
Arabic is internal; Danish is external (suffix).
bei-construction
Chinese uses a separate word; Danish uses a suffix.
