What's good to know
The passive of the modal verbs is a lovely and simple construction. Let's take a closer look at how it is constructed:
BASE - STANDARD PASSIVE
Das Wasser wird getrunken. - The water is being drunk.
PASSIVE WITH MODAL VERBS (INDIKATIV/KONJUNKTIV II)
Das Wasser kann getrunken werden. - The water can be drunk.
Das Wasser könnte getrunken werden. - The water could be drunk.
Das Wasser darf getrunken werden. - Is is allowed to drink the water.
Das Wasser dürfte getrunken werden. - it would be allowed to drink the water.
Das Wasser muss getrunken werden. - The water has to be drunk.
Das Wasser müsste getrunken werden. - The water would have to be drunk.
Das Wasser möchte getrunken werden. - The water would like to be drunk.
Das Wasser will getrunken werden. - The water wants to be drunk.
Das Wasser wollte (=KII) getrunken werden. - The water would (!) want to be drunk.
Das Wasser soll getrunken werden. - The water should be drunk. < order of another person
Das Wasser sollte (=KII) getrunken werden. - The water should be drunk. < advice/recommendation
+ möchte" (=would like) is already the Konjunktiv II of "mögen" (=to like)
+ Indikativ = indication = reality ≠ Konjunktiv II
When to use it
The indicative version is used fairly often in German. A few examples to give you an idea of what it is used for:
- Kann der Vorgang (=the case) abgeschlossen (=closed) werden? (in the office)
- Sollen die Haare gewaschen werden? (at the hairdresser's)
- Darf der Pullover in der Maschine gewaschen werden?
- Bis wann muss das Paket zugestellt (=delivered) werden?
The Konjunktiv II version is in general a more polite version. All of the above sentences could also be expressed in KII. Take a look at the translations though:
1. Könnte der Vorgang abgeschlossen werden?
1. Could the case be closed please?
2. Sollten die Haare vielleicht gewaschen werden?
2. Should the hair maybe be washed?
3. Dürfte der Pullover in der Maschine gewaschen werden?
3. Would it be okay to wash the sweater in the machine?
4. Bis wann müsste das Paket zugestellt werden?
4. Until when would the package have to be delivered?
It will most certainly take you some time to get a hang of the nuances that differentiate these two versions. Don't worry if you don't get it right away. It is important that you understand them when you read or hear them. If in an exam you mistake the one for the other, it wouldn't matter at all as long as you get the sentence right.
This topic is covered in: B1-RL22 (Ps. R stands for review)