In English, to express that something is possible, we often use "can be" plus an action, like "The document can be printed." In German, you could use a passive structure with a modal verb, but this can feel rigid and overly formal.
A much more common alternative in everyday German is using the reflexive verb sich lassen combined with an infinitive.
| can be done (sich lassen + infinitive) | sich lassen |
Sentence Structure
To form this passive alternative, conjugate lassen to match the subject (the thing being acted upon). Place the reflexive pronoun sich next to the verb, and put the main action verb in its infinitive form at the very end of the sentence.
| This paragraph can easily be adjusted. | Dieser Absatz lässt sich problemlos anpassen. |
| The heading can be changed quickly. | Die Überschrift lässt sich schnell ändern. |
Separable Verbs at the End
When your main action is a separable verb, such as einfügen (to insert) or wiederherstellen (to restore), it remains as a single, unseparated word when placed at the end of the sentence as an infinitive.
| A table can easily be inserted here. | Eine Tabelle lässt sich hier problemlos einfügen. |
| Can the old version be restored? | Lässt sich die alte Version wiederherstellen? |
Negation and Complex Sentences
If something cannot be done, simply add nicht. This structure also works seamlessly in complex sentences.
| Unfortunately, the file cannot be restored. | Die Datei lässt sich leider nicht wiederherstellen. |
| The format can be adjusted before we print out the table. | Das Format lässt sich anpassen, bevor wir die Tabelle ausdrucken. |
