My German Struggle: Relative Clauses and the Passive – Seriously!

Okay, deep breath. I’m officially three months into living and working in Berlin, and let’s just say my German isn’t exactly fluent. It’s… functional. I can order a Bier and ask for directions, but conversations beyond that are usually a chaotic mix of pointing, smiling, and hoping for the best. Today, I wanted to talk about two things that have been particularly kicking my butt: relative clauses and the passive voice. Specifically, how they keep popping up in situations involving media and my daily digital life.

The Passive Voice – “Es Wird” (It Is Being) and My Confusion

Honestly, the passive voice in German – es wird – is utterly baffling. I keep misunderstanding it, and it’s causing some pretty awkward moments. It’s not that I don’t understand what is being said, it’s how it’s being said.

Yesterday, I was trying to explain to my colleague, Markus, that the new marketing campaign was being reviewed by the legal team. I blurted out, “Die Kampagne wird geprüft!” He looked at me like I’d grown a second head.

“Nein, Alice,” he said patiently, “Es wird gesagt, dass die Kampagne geprüft wird. Es wird gesagt, dass…” (No, Alice, it’s said that the campaign is being reviewed. It’s said that…)”

It suddenly clicked. It’s not the campaign doing the being-reviewed. It’s the act of being reviewed, communicated by someone else. It felt so… indirect.

I’ve heard it used constantly in news articles – “Das Projekt wird gefördert” (The project is being funded). Or when I was talking about a website update: “Die Seite wird aktualisiert” (The page is being updated). It’s a way of emphasizing the action rather than the actor, which feels completely foreign to my English brain.

Relative Clauses – “Der, Die, Das” and the Digital World

Then there are relative clauses. I really struggle with knowing when to use der, die, and das. And why they’re suddenly there!

I was scrolling through Instagram, completely engrossed in a video of a cool new music festival, when I saw the caption: “Das Festival, das in Köln stattfindet, ist sehr beliebt.” (The festival, which takes place in Cologne, is very popular.)

My brain immediately processed “das Festival” as the subject of the sentence. I was trying to figure out which festival they were talking about! Then, I realized das was referring back to “Das Festival.” It felt incredibly convoluted.

It’s everywhere in the digital world, too. Website descriptions: “Das Produkt, das du brauchst…” (The product that you need…). News headlines: “Der Artikel, der gestern veröffentlicht wurde…” (The article that was published yesterday…). It’s a constant barrage of der, die, and das, and honestly, I’m exhausted.

Practical Scenarios and Mistakes

I made a particularly embarrassing mistake last week while trying to complain about a glitch in the company’s new CRM system. I said to Steven, “Das System, das oft abstürzt, ist schlecht!” (The system, that often crashes, is bad!). Steven visibly winced.

He gently explained that I needed to use the passive voice. “Es wird gesagt, dass das System oft abstürzt.” (It is said that the system often crashes). I realized I was focusing on the problem (the system crashing) rather than the fact that it was being reported as crashing. It felt like a crucial distinction!

Another time, I was trying to explain to a friend, Lars, what I was doing with my computer. I said, “Ich habe das Video, das ich gestern gesehen, angesehen.” (I watched the video that I saw yesterday.) He corrected me, “Nein, du hast das Video angesehen.” (No, you watched the video). It’s such a small difference, but it highlights just how much I need to focus on sentence structure.

Moving Forward – Small Steps

I know I’m not going to master German grammar overnight. But I’m trying to approach it with a little more patience and a lot more practice. I’m actively listening for how these clauses and voices are used in everyday conversations, especially when I’m reading news articles or looking at social media.

I’m also making a conscious effort to use them myself, even if I stumble a few times. Markus has been a fantastic resource, patiently correcting my mistakes and explaining the nuances.

It’s frustrating, absolutely, but also incredibly rewarding. Every time I understand a complex sentence – even if it involves “es wird” and a whole bunch of der, die, and das – it feels like a small victory. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll be confidently navigating a German news report about a new digital campaign without completely losing my mind. Auf geht’s! (Let’s go!)