---
title: "Passive Eligibility and Object Constraints — German grammar C1"
description: "C1 German passive eligibility and object constraints."
canonical: "https://cefra.app/en/explore/de/grammar/c1/german-passive-eligibility-and-object-constraints"
lang: "en"
learning_language: "de"
cefr_level: "C1"
updated: "2026-07-11"
alternates:
  en: "https://cefra.app/en/explore/de/grammar/c1/german-passive-eligibility-and-object-constraints.md"
  fr: "https://cefra.app/fr/explore/de/grammar/c1/german-passive-eligibility-and-object-constraints.md"
  pl: "https://cefra.app/pl/explore/de/grammar/c1/german-passive-eligibility-and-object-constraints.md"
  ru: "https://cefra.app/ru/explore/de/grammar/c1/german-passive-eligibility-and-object-constraints.md"
---

# Passive Eligibility and Object Constraints

[Cefra](https://cefra.app/en.md) › [German](https://cefra.app/en/explore/de.md) › [Grammar](https://cefra.app/en/explore/de/grammar.md) › [C1](https://cefra.app/en/explore/de/grammar/c1.md) › Passive Eligibility and Object Constraints

Check object type, agentivity, and fixed meaning before forming a passive.

Last updated: July 11, 2026

A true accusative object normally becomes the passive subject. Agentive intransitives may form an impersonal passive. Measure, price, duration, and body-part accusatives are not promotable.

Possession/receipt, knowledge, states and changes of state, weather/existential verbs, reflexives, and fixed light-verb constructions normally resist the event passive. Semantic agentivity matters more than surface case.

## Rule-to-example map

| Rule                                     | German example                                                |
| ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| true accusative object                   | Man repariert das Rad. / Das Rad wird repariert.              |
| intransitive with agentive subject       | Man klatscht. / Es wird geklatscht.                           |
| dative remains dative                    | Man hilft dem Mann. / Dem Mann wird geholfen.                 |
| measure accusative cannot become subject | Das Paket wiegt zwei Kilo. / Nicht: Zwei Kilo werden gewogen. |
| possession verb                          | Sie besitzt ein Haus. / Kein normales Vorgangspassiv.         |
| state/knowledge verb                     | Er kennt die Antwort. / Kein normales Vorgangspassiv.         |
| reflexive verb                           | Sie beeilt sich. / Nicht: Sie wird sich beeilt.               |
| impersonal passive is possible           | Über das Problem wird gesprochen.                             |
| process/state contrast                   | Die Tür wird geöffnet. / Die Tür ist geöffnet.                |

## Exercises

[Start practice](https://cefra.app/en/explore/de/grammar/c1/german-passive-eligibility-and-object-constraints/practice)

1. Complete the task and justify the passive structure. (10 tasks)
2. Complete the task and justify the passive structure. (10 tasks)
3. Complete the task and justify the passive structure. (10 tasks)