ROADMAP · B1 · Understand familiar topics and express personal opinions
Wortbildung: Komposita, Präfixe und Suffixe
The housing agency is looking for a new female employee.
EXPLANATION
German often builds long words from smaller parts. Learn the parts, and you can often guess both the meaning and the grammar.
German word formation helps you in two ways: it tells you the meaning of a new word, and it often tells you the grammar, especially the gender of a noun. In compound nouns, the last part decides the gender: die Arbeitszeit, das Wohnungsamt, der Straßenname.
STRUCTURE
Adjektiv / Verb + suffix → Nomen; suffix often fixes the genderCommon noun-forming suffixes here are -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -ion, -tät.
- Die Eröffnung beginnt um neun Uhr.The opening starts at nine o'clock.
- Wir brauchen eine neue Lösung.We need a new solution.
- Die Freiheit ist wichtig.Freedom is important.
Noun stem + suffix → person noun / diminutive noun-(e)r, -ler often mean a person; -in marks a female person; -chen, -lein are diminutives and are always neuter.
- Der Fahrer wartet draußen.The driver is waiting outside.
- Meine Tante ist Lehrerin.My aunt is a teacher.
- Das kleine Häuschen steht am Fluss.The little house stands by the river.
Verb / noun / adjective stem + adjective suffixThese suffixes change meaning, not just style: -lich, -ig, -isch, -bar, -los, -voll.
- Das Zimmer ist mietbar.The room can be rented.
- Die Stadt ist sehr touristisch.The city is very touristy.
- Der Film war sehr lustig.The film was very funny.
OVERVIEW
Common word-building patterns
| Pattern | Typical meaning | Gender / form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ung | action / result | die | die Wohnung |
| -heit | quality / state | die | die Freiheit |
| -keit | quality / state | die | die Möglichkeit |
| -schaft | group / relation | die | die Freundschaft |
| -ion | process / result | die | die Information |
| -tät | abstract quality | die | die Universität |
| -er / -ler | person | der | der Fahrer |
| -in | female person | die | die Ärztin |
| -chen / -lein | small thing / person | das | das Mädchen |
COMMON MISTAKES
Die Wohnig ist zu klein.
Die Wohnung ist zu klein.
Wohnung is a real noun with the suffix -ung and it is feminine. Wohnung and wohnen are related, but wohnen is the verb, not a noun stem you can freely change.
Das ist ein hilfsvoll Buch.
Das ist ein hilfreiches Buch.
The suffix -voll means 'full of' and is used with some nouns to form adjectives like hoffnungsvoll (full of hope). Learners often add it too widely. Here the correct word for 'helpful' is hilfreich, not hilfsvoll.
Meine Schwester ist Architekterin.
Meine Schwester ist Architektin.
For female persons, German often uses -in. The profession Architekt becomes Architektin for a woman. Do not insert -er before -in.
Er bekommt morgen an.
Er kommt morgen an.
Ankommen means 'arrive' and separates in the main clause. The prefix changes the meaning completely; bekommen means 'receive'.
USAGE NOTES
- The same ending can tell you both meaning and grammar. For example, -ung usually makes a feminine noun, and -bar often makes an adjective.
- Not every German word is easy to split into a current prefix + base. Some forms are historically fixed, so use the pattern only when it really helps.
- Compound nouns are very common in newspapers, school texts, and work contexts. If the last part is feminine, the whole noun is feminine, no matter what comes first.
- Adjective suffixes often help you guess meaning: -los = without, -voll = full of, -lich = often 'typical of' or 'in a ... way'.
RELATED
Pick the answer that completes the sentence
Wir warten auf ＿＿ Anstellung. (warten auf + Akkusativ)
We are waiting for the job placement.