The State Passive
In English, we often use the verb "to be" plus a past participle to describe both an action taking place ("The house is built by experts") and the resulting state once the action is finished ("The house is built").
In Dutch, describing the resulting state of a completed action is called the state passive (toestandspassief). To form it, use the conjugated verb zijn (to be) along with the past participle of the main verb at the end of the clause.
| The garlands are hung above the dance floor. | De slingers zijn boven de dansvloer opgehangen. |
| The dance floor is decorated and the lamps are installed. | De dansvloer is versierd en de lampen zijn geïnstalleerd. |
Preparing for an Event
When organizing an event, the state passive is perfect for discussing whether rooms and venues are ready.
| The cloakroom in the lobby is open and the tickets are laid out. | De garderobe in de foyer is geopend en de kaartjes zijn klaargelegd. |
| The garlands are laid out, but they are not hung up yet. | De slingers zijn klaargelegd, maar ze zijn nog niet opgehangen. |
State Passive in Subclauses
As with all Dutch verbs, when the state passive is used in a dependent clause (such as those starting with dat, omdat, or voordat), all verbs are pushed to the end. The conjugated form of zijn will sit together with the past participle at the very end of the subclause.
| We know that the lighting above the dance floor is installed. | We weten dat de verlichting boven de dansvloer is geïnstalleerd. |
| Because the lighting is installed, the catering can begin. | Omdat de verlichting is geïnstalleerd, kan de catering beginnen. |