B1 Passive & Reported Speech 1 min read Médio

The S-Passive for Instructions

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

The S-passive turns active verbs into passive instructions by adding an '-s' to the end of the verb.

  • Add -s to the present tense: 'spises' (is eaten).
  • Use it for general rules or instructions, not specific people.
  • The -s form works for all subjects, regardless of number.
Verb + s = Passive Instruction (e.g., 'Døren lukkes' - The door is closed)

S-Passive Formation

Active (Present) S-Passive Meaning
lukker
lukkes
is closed
spiser
spises
is eaten
tager
tages
is taken
ryger
ryges
is smoked
bager
bages
is baked
hører
høres
is heard

Meanings

The S-passive is used to describe actions where the agent is unknown, irrelevant, or general. It is the standard way to write signs, recipes, and formal instructions in Danish.

1

General Instructions

Used for signs and public notices.

“Her ryges ikke.”

“Skoene tages af.”

2

Recipes

Instructions for cooking.

“Løget hakkes fint.”

“Saucen piskes sammen.”

3

General Statements

Describing what is generally done.

“Der tales dansk her.”

“Der spises meget brød i Danmark.”

Reference Table

Reference table for The S-Passive for Instructions
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Verb + s
Døren lukkes.
Negative
Verb + s + ikke
Her ryges ikke.
Question
Verb + s + der
Spises der kage?
Modal
Modal + Verb + s
Døren skal lukkes.
Past (rare)
Verb + des
Døren lukkedes.
Reflexive (not passive)
Verb + s
Vi ses.

Espectro de formalidade

Formal
Rygning er ikke tilladt.

Rygning er ikke tilladt. (Public sign)

Neutro
Her ryges ikke.

Her ryges ikke. (Public sign)

Informal
Ingen rygning her.

Ingen rygning her. (Public sign)

Gíria
Ikke ryge her, mand.

Ikke ryge her, mand. (Public sign)

S-Passive Usage

S-Passive

Public

  • ryges smoking

Kitchen

  • bages baking

Rules

  • lukkes closing

Exemplos por nível

1

Her ryges ikke.

Smoking is not allowed here.

2

Døren lukkes.

The door is closed.

3

Skoene tages af.

Shoes are taken off.

4

Der tales dansk.

Danish is spoken.

1

Løget hakkes fint.

The onion is chopped finely.

2

Kagen bages i 30 minutter.

The cake is baked for 30 minutes.

3

Saucen piskes sammen.

The sauce is whisked together.

4

Bordet dækkes nu.

The table is being set now.

1

Der arbejdes hårdt på projektet.

Hard work is being done on the project.

2

Reglerne følges nøje.

The rules are followed closely.

3

Beslutningen tages i morgen.

The decision is made tomorrow.

4

Huset sælges hurtigt.

The house is sold quickly.

1

Det forventes, at alle møder op.

It is expected that everyone shows up.

2

Spørgsmålet diskuteres på mødet.

The question is discussed at the meeting.

3

Resultatet ses tydeligt her.

The result is seen clearly here.

4

Det anbefales at læse bogen.

It is recommended to read the book.

1

Det antages, at modellen er korrekt.

It is assumed that the model is correct.

2

Lovgivningen ændres løbende.

The legislation is changed continuously.

3

Problemet løses bedst ved dialog.

The problem is best solved by dialogue.

4

Det erkendes, at fejlen skete.

It is acknowledged that the error occurred.

1

Det tilstræbes at opnå konsensus.

It is strived to achieve consensus.

2

Det formodes, at tendensen fortsætter.

It is presumed that the trend continues.

3

Det betragtes som en nødvendighed.

It is considered a necessity.

4

Det understreges, at sikkerheden prioriteres.

It is emphasized that safety is prioritized.

Fácil de confundir

The S-Passive for Instructions vs Reflexive -s

Both end in -s. Reflexive means 'each other', passive means 'done to'.

The S-Passive for Instructions vs Bli-passive

Both are passive. S-passive is general, Bli-passive is specific.

The S-Passive for Instructions vs Deponens verbs

They end in -s but are active.

Erros comuns

Jeg spises æblet.

Æblet spises.

The S-passive does not take a subject like 'Jeg'.

Døren lukke-s.

Døren lukkes.

No hyphen needed.

Her ryge s ikke.

Her ryges ikke.

It is one word.

Døren er lukkes.

Døren lukkes.

Don't use 'er' with S-passive.

Vi ses i biografen (passive).

Vi ses i biografen (reflexive).

This is reflexive, not passive.

Kagen bages af mig.

Jeg bager kagen.

S-passive shouldn't have an agent.

Det spises meget.

Der spises meget.

Use 'der' for impersonal subjects.

Døren lukkedes i går.

Døren blev lukket i går.

S-passive is mostly for present tense.

Han ses i byen.

Han bliver set i byen.

S-passive is for general, not specific people.

Det anbefales at man gør det.

Det anbefales at gøre det.

Keep it impersonal.

Det antages at han er skyldig.

Det antages, at han er skyldig.

Punctuation is important.

Det tilstræbes at vi vinder.

Det tilstræbes at vinde.

Keep the infinitive.

Det ses som en fejl.

Det betragtes som en fejl.

Use the right verb for the context.

Det understreges af læreren.

Læreren understreger.

Don't use S-passive with an agent.

Padrões de frases

Her ___ ikke.

___ bages i 30 minutter.

Det ___ at alle møder op.

Problemet ___ bedst ved dialog.

Real World Usage

Train station sign constant

Her ryges ikke.

Recipe book very common

Løget hakkes.

Workplace manual common

Reglerne følges.

Social media post occasional

Der ses frem til festen.

Job interview occasional

Det forventes, at man er punktlig.

Food delivery app common

Mad tilberedes nu.

💡

Look for the S

If you see a verb ending in -s on a sign, it's almost certainly a rule or instruction.
⚠️

Don't use 'er'

Never say 'er lukkes'. It's just 'lukkes'.
🎯

Use 'der'

When you need a subject for an impersonal sentence, use 'der' (e.g., 'Der spises kage').
💬

Be formal

The S-passive is a great way to sound more professional in Danish.

Smart Tips

Look for the -s suffix to understand the rule.

Ryge ikke. Her ryges ikke.

Use the S-passive for every step.

Du hakker løget. Løget hakkes.

Use the S-passive to sound more objective.

Vi forventer at du kommer. Det forventes, at du kommer.

Ask: Is it a rule? If yes, it's passive.

Vi ses. Døren lukkes.

Pronúncia

/lʊkəs/

The -s sound

The 's' is pronounced like a soft 's' in English. It does not change the vowel sound of the verb.

Falling intonation

Døren lukkes ↘

Used for firm instructions or signs.

Memorize

Mnemônico

Think of the 'S' as a 'Sign' marker. If you see an 'S' at the end of a verb on a sign, it's a rule!

Associação visual

Imagine a giant letter 'S' made of metal, hanging on a door. It's a 'Sign' that the door is 'Closed' (Lukkes).

Rhyme

Add an S to make it passive, for a rule that's quite massive.

Story

Jens is in the kitchen. He reads a recipe: 'Løget hakkes' (The onion is chopped). He chops it. Then he sees a sign: 'Her ryges ikke' (Smoking is not allowed). He puts out his cigarette. He follows the rules perfectly.

Word Web

lukkesspisestagesrygesbagesses

Desafio

Find 3 signs in your city or online and identify the S-passive verb.

Notas culturais

Danes love efficiency. The S-passive is the ultimate tool for concise, impersonal communication.

The S-passive comes from the Old Norse reflexive pronoun 'sik' (himself/themselves), which attached to the verb.

Iniciadores de conversa

Hvad står der på skiltet?

Hvordan bages denne kage?

Hvilke regler følges på dit arbejde?

Hvordan betragtes dette problem i Danmark?

Temas para diário

Write a list of 5 rules for your house using the S-passive.
Describe how to make your favorite dish using the S-passive.
Write a formal notice for a public event.
Discuss a social issue in Denmark using impersonal passive structures.

Erros comuns

Incorrect

Correto


Incorrect

Correto


Incorrect

Correto


Incorrect

Correto

Test Yourself

Fill in the correct S-passive form.

Døren ___ (lukke).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: lukkes
Add -s to the present tense.
Which sentence is correct? Múltipla escolha

Choose the correct passive form.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Her ryges ikke.
Use the S-passive for rules.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Jeg spises æblet.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Æblet spises.
S-passive has no agent.
Change to S-passive. Sentence Transformation

Man bager kagen.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kagen bages.
Remove 'man' and add -s.
Is this true? True False Rule

S-passive is used for specific people.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
S-passive is for general rules.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Hvordan laves saucen? B: Den ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: piskes
Use S-passive for recipes.
Build the sentence. Sentence Building

arbejdes / der / hårdt

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Der arbejdes hårdt.
Standard word order.
Match the active to passive. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: spises
Add -s.

Score: /8

Exercicios praticos

8 exercises
Fill in the correct S-passive form.

Døren ___ (lukke).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: lukkes
Add -s to the present tense.
Which sentence is correct? Múltipla escolha

Choose the correct passive form.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Her ryges ikke.
Use the S-passive for rules.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Jeg spises æblet.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Æblet spises.
S-passive has no agent.
Change to S-passive. Sentence Transformation

Man bager kagen.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kagen bages.
Remove 'man' and add -s.
Is this true? True False Rule

S-passive is used for specific people.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
S-passive is for general rules.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Hvordan laves saucen? B: Den ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: piskes
Use S-passive for recipes.
Build the sentence. Sentence Building

arbejdes / der / hårdt

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Der arbejdes hårdt.
Standard word order.
Match the active to passive. Match Pairs

Match 'spiser' to its passive.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: spises
Add -s.

Score: /8

Perguntas frequentes (8)

It is rare. Usually, we use the 'blive-passive' for the past tense.

No, it is a reflexive verb meaning 'we see each other'.

It acts as a dummy subject to make the sentence grammatically complete.

Only transitive verbs that can logically receive an action.

Yes, it is very common in formal and neutral contexts.

Just add 'ikke' after the verb.

It stays the same.

Yes, especially in professional or instructional settings.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

German moderate

Man + active verb

Danish uses a verb suffix, German uses a pronoun.

French moderate

On + active verb

French uses 'on', Danish uses the -s suffix.

Spanish high

Se + active verb

Spanish uses a separate word 'se', Danish attaches it to the verb.

Japanese moderate

Passive conjugation (-reru)

Japanese passive is much more complex and often implies suffering.

Arabic partial

Form V/VI (ta- prefix)

Arabic is prefix-based, Danish is suffix-based.

Chinese low

Bei construction

Chinese is analytic, Danish is synthetic.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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