Express what can and must be done precisely
Möglichkeiten und Anforderungen ausdrücken
Interpret passive alternatives in instructions and avoid confusing feasibility with obligation.
German instructions often use forms other than werden-passive. Sich lassen + infinitive usually expresses possibility: Die Datei lässt sich öffnen means it can be opened. A -bar adjective can describe feasibility or a property: lesbar, überprüfbar. Sein + zu + infinitive may express necessity or possibility depending on context. In a rule, Die Unterlagen sind bis Freitag einzureichen normally means they must be submitted by Friday; Die Schrift ist kaum zu lesen describes difficulty, not a duty to read. The deadline, the surrounding instruction and the choice of verb help disambiguate. When rewriting, retain the original force: possible, necessary, permitted and prohibited are different.
Die Datei lässt sich mit dem bereitgestellten Programm öffnen.
The file can be opened with the provided program.
Die Angaben sind anhand der Unterlagen überprüfbar.
The information can be checked against the documents.
Die Unterlagen sind bis Freitag einzureichen.
The documents must be submitted by Friday.
Die Schrift ist auf dieser Kopie kaum zu lesen.
The writing on this copy is barely readable.
Unvollständige Formulare müssen vor der Freigabe ergänzt werden.
Incomplete forms must be completed before approval.
Bei technischen Problemen ist die Koordination zu informieren.
Coordination must be informed in the event of technical problems.
German instructions often use forms other than werden-passive. Sich lassen + infinitive usually expresses possibility: Die Datei lässt sich öffnen means it can be opened. A -bar adjective can describe feasibility or a property: lesbar, überprüfbar. Sein + zu + infinitive may express necessity or possibility depending on context. In a rule, Die Unterlagen sind bis Freitag einzureichen normally means they must be submitted by Friday; Die Schrift ist kaum zu lesen describes difficulty, not a duty to read. The deadline, the surrounding instruction and the choice of verb help disambiguate. When rewriting, retain the original force: possible, necessary, permitted and prohibited are different.
Interpret passive alternatives in instructions and avoid confusing feasibility with obligation.
Do not translate every ist zu automatically as must. „Die Schrift ist kaum zu lesen“ means it is barely readable, not that reading is compulsory.
Lässt sich + infinitive usually means can be done. Sein + zu needs context: a deadline rule often expresses obligation, a readability statement possibility.
Write 180–220 German words explaining a fictional document workflow to new colleagues. State what can be opened, what must be submitted by Friday, what is barely readable and what to do if the upload fails. Use a lassen construction, a -bar adjective and two contextually clear sein + zu forms.