Alex
Understanding the passive voice Please help with the following questions! So as I know werden, when not used in the future tense is "to become". Right? So I have some questions about the examples in my book. I'm not translating these sentences word to word to english but I am trying to make context of them. Das Bild wird gemalt or Das Bild ist gemalt? (The picture is painted). To me "ist" seems more appropriate here. Why is wird used. I know it is the current tense of werden for an object how is its use warranted here? Das Bild wurde gemalt, why not Das Bild war gemalt? (The picture was painted) The only way I think so far of understanding this is if this example to english would be " the picture become painted. It doesn't make good english but finds for me the context more correctly. Das Bild ist gemalt worden, why not Das Bild hat gemalt worden. (The picture has been painted). Why is sein used here not the past of haben?
30 Thg 06 2013 10:16
Câu trả lời · 6
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The "werden" as auxiliary verb (both for future tense and passive voice) should not be confused with "werden" as main verb (= to become). As an auxiliary verb, it has totally lost its meaning, in the same way the auxiliary verbs "haben" and "sein" have lost it. Attaching a meaning for it makes as little sense as trying to explain "I have come" by thinking about ownership in some way. Also, keep in mind that there are two kinds of passive voice in German: Das Vorgangspassiv (werden + participle) and Zustandspassiv (sein + participle). So: Das Bild wird gemalt. = emphasis on the action. (English would use the continous form to emphasize the action: "The picture is being painted." But of course the Vorgangspassiv doesn't express continuity at all.) Das Bild ist gemalt. = emphasis on the result, e.g. to distinguish it from a photo. The same principle applies for the other tenses. Imperfekt: Das Bild wird gemalt -> Das Bild wurde gemalt. Das Bild ist gemalt -> Das Bild war gemalt. Perfekt: Das Bild wird gemalt -> Das Bild ist gemalt worden. Das Bild ist gemalt -> Das Bild ist gemalt gewesen. "Ist" instead of "hat" is used as auxiliary verb, because the choice of "sein/haben" as auxiliary verb only depends on the verb that is modified: "Ich bin geworden" und "Ich bin gewesen", but not "Ich habe geworden" und "Ich habe gewesen". Compare "Ich bin gegangen" instead of "Ich habe gegangen" for verbs of movement. Again, it's just grammar. There's no meaning whatsoever in the choice. See also: http://www.canoo.net/services/OnlineGrammar/Wort/Verb/Genera/Zustandspass.html
30 tháng 6 năm 2013
Firstly, "Das Bild ist gemalt" is meaningless. All pictures are painted. That is their dfinintion. Anyway: Das Bild wird gemalt = The picture is being painted. "The picture is painted" is also meanignless in English, so I can't really translate it. Das Bild ist vertig gemalt. = The picture is finished.
1 tháng 7 năm 2013
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