Adjective from Adjective or Verb

In this lesson you learn how to form new German adjectives from existing adjectives and verbs. This helps you understand many words more easily and speak and write more flexibly.

Adjektives from adjectives

1Negative / opposite prefixes

With certain prefixes you can form adjectives with a negative or opposite meaning.

Common prefixes: un-, in-, im-, ir-, des-.

Notes:

• un- is the most frequent prefix: unklar, unfrei, unsympathisch.
• in- / im- / ir- usually appear with words of Latin origin: indiskret, intolerant, irrational.

2“Against”-prefixes

Some prefixes mean “against something” or “in contradiction to”.

Common prefixes: anti-, kontra-, pro-, pseudo-.

3Compound adjectives

Two words can form a new adjective.

• Adjektiv + Adjektiv: hellblau, dunkelblau, taubstumm, bitterkalt
• Adjektiv + noun stem: hochmodern, steinreich, federleicht
• Verb stem + Adjektiv: wissbegierig (wissen + begierig), arbeitswillig, lernbereit

Such compounds are normally written as one word in German.

Adjectives from verbs

1Suffixes to form adjectives

You can add suffixes to the verb stem. Frequent suffixes are: -bar, -lich, -los, -sam, -abel/-ibel.

Typical meanings:

• -bar: “possible, can be done” (essbar, trinkbar, lösbar)
• -los: “without something” (arbeitslos, hilflos, chancenlos)
• -lich: describes a quality (natürlich, freundlich, flüchtig)
• -sam: tendency or manner (achtsam, grausam)

2Participles used as adjectives

Partizip I (ending in -end) and Partizip II can be used like adjectives and are declined.

Examples:

• das fragende Kind (the child who is asking)
• die lächelnde Frau (the woman who is smiling)
• die gefährdete Art (the species that is in danger)

After this lesson you can understand and form many adjectives from adjectives and from verbs in German.