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Questions & Answers about Der Rabatt wird automatisch berechnet.
Is this sentence active or passive?
It is a passive sentence in German (specifically the Vorgangspassiv, the actional passive). The focus is on what happens to Der Rabatt (the discount), not on who performs the calculation.
What tense is wird berechnet?
It’s the present tense passive. In German you form the present passive with the verb werden in the present (here wird) plus the past participle (berechnet).
Why is berechnet at the end of the sentence?
In a German main clause the finite verb (here wird) is in second position, and any non‑finite verb parts (like the past participle berechnet) go to the end.
Why is Der Rabatt in the nominative case instead of accusative?
In a passive construction the former direct object of the active sentence becomes the subject in nominative case. So den Rabatt (active) turns into Der Rabatt (passive).
How do I say who is doing the calculating if I want to mention it?
You introduce the agent with von + dative. For example:
- Der Rabatt wird automatisch von der Software berechnet.
What part of speech is automatisch, and why doesn’t it change its form?
Here automatisch is an adverb modifying the verb—adverbs in German are not declined, so they stay invariable.
Could automatisch also be used as an adjective?
Yes. When it directly describes a noun it becomes an adjective and takes an ending, for example:
- ein automatischer Rabatt (an automatic discount)
How would I express the same idea in active voice?
You could say:
- Das System berechnet den Rabatt automatisch.
Here Das System is the subject performing the action.
Why not say Der Rabatt ist automatisch berechnet?
Using ist + past participle creates the Zustandspassiv (a state passive, focusing on a resulting condition). To emphasize the process of calculation (the action), German uses Vorgangspassiv with werden, thus wird berechnet.