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Lesson 48B2

Passive Alternatives: sein...zu, sich lassen

కర్మణి వాక్యానికి ప్రత్యామ్నాయ మార్గాలు

Beyond werden, German has two shorter ways to express possibility-passive ('can be done') — sein + zu + infinitive, and sich lassen + infinitive — both more compact than the full passive you learned in B1.

Grammar Comparison

వ్యాకరణ పోలిక

Two shortcuts for 'can be done'

German

Das Problem ist zu lösen. / Das Problem lässt sich lösen. (both mean 'The problem can be solved')

Telugu

సమస్యను పరిష్కరించవచ్చు. (the possibility marker వచ్చు already does this job in one word)

Telugu expresses 'can be done' with a single possibility auxiliary, వచ్చు, attached straight onto the verb (పరిష్కరించవచ్చు, 'can be solved'), without needing a dedicated passive form at all. German offers two compact alternatives to the full 'kann gelöst werden' passive: sein + zu + infinitive (ist zu lösen) and reflexive lässt sich + infinitive (lässt sich lösen). Both carry the same 'possibility, not certainty' meaning as Telugu's వచ్చు — reach for either one when you want a shorter, more natural-sounding alternative to the full modal-passive construction from Lesson 39.

Vocabulary

పదజాలం

ist zu lösenist tsoo LER-zen
Telugu
పరిష్కరించవచ్చుparishkarinchavachu
English
can be solved
lässt sich lösenlest zikh LER-zen
Telugu
పరిష్కరించవచ్చుparishkarinchavachu
English
can be solved (alternative)
ist zu machenist tsoo MAH-khen
Telugu
చేయవచ్చుcheyavachu
English
can be done
lässt sich reparierenlest zikh reh-pah-REE-ren
Telugu
బాగు చేయవచ్చుbaagu cheyavachu
English
can be repaired