inactive
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inactive / idly
Describes a state in which someone does nothing or does not intervene, even though action would be possible or necessary.
Er sah tatenlos zu, wie der Dieb mit dem Fahrrad davonfuhr.
He stood by idly as the thief rode away with the bicycle.
The word is easy to understand if you know its parts: 'Tat' (action, deed) and the ending '-los' (without). 'Tatenlos' therefore literally means 'without a deed' or 'without action.'
Die Regierung blieb angesichts der Krise nicht tatenlos.
The government did not remain inactive in the face of the crisis.
'Tatenlos' is very frequently used in the fixed combination 'tatenlos zusehen' (to stand by idly). It describes someone observing a situation without intervening.
Die Nachbarn sahen tatenlos zu, wie der Streit eskalierte.
The neighbors stood by idly as the argument escalated.
You can use 'tatenlos' as an adverb to describe a verb, or as a predicative adjective with verbs like 'bleiben' (to remain) or 'sein' (to be).
Man darf in so einer Situation nicht tatenlos bleiben.
You must not remain inactive in a situation like that.
passive
Both passiv and tatenlos can describe a lack of action. Passiv generally emphasizes a wait-and-see attitude or a lack of initiative. Tatenlos places more emphasis on someone failing to intervene despite having a specific opportunity or need to do so.
Während der Streit eskalierte, blieb der Leiter tatenlos, obwohl er hätte eingreifen müssen.
The manager stood by helplessly as the argument escalated, even though he should have intervened.
Während der Diskussion blieb der Leiter passiv und wartete auf Vorschläge des Teams.
The manager remained passive during the discussion and waited for suggestions from the team.
