German · Chapter 9 · Lesson 14 · Grammar primer
The passive with werden
The werden that builds the future also builds the passive; the sentences differ only in the participle.
The short version
wird gebaut is happening, ist gebaut is done
English says the house is built for two different ideas. German splits them. werden plus a participle is the action in progress, sein plus a participle is the finished state it leaves behind. Ask yourself whether someone is doing it right now: if so, you want werden.
Die Tür wird geschlossen. Die Tür ist geschlossen.
In the passive it is worden, not geworden
When werden means to become, its participle is geworden. When it is helping to build a passive, German uses the shorter worden instead. So the house has been built is ist gebaut worden. Saying geworden there is one of the most common passive mistakes, and an easy one to stop making.
Das Haus ist gebaut worden.
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