TOPIC · Adverbs & particles

Partizip als Adjektiv

After this lesson, learners will be able to correctly form and use participles as adjectives in German.

The Participle as an Adjective

In the German language, participles can be used as adjectives to describe the qualities of nouns or to indicate active and passive actions. In this lesson, we will discuss how to form participles in both the present and the perfect tense, and how to use them as adjectives.

Participle I (Present)

Participle I is formed from the infinitive of the verb; you add ‘-end’ or ‘-nd’ as the adjective ending. It is used to indicate that an action is currently taking place.

Forming Participle I

Infinitive	Participle I	Example	Translation
spielen	spielend	das spielende Kind	the child that is playing
lernen	lernend	die lernende Gruppe	the group that is learning
singen	singend	die singende Frau	the woman who is singing

Using Participle I

Participle I always has an active meaning. For example: "Die spielenden Kinder" describes children who are actively playing.

Participle II (Perfect)

Participle II describes completed actions and is usually used with an adjective ending. It is important to note that not all verbs can be used in adjective form.

Forming Participle II

Infinitive	Participle II	Example	Translation
kaufen	gekauft	das gekaufte Buch	the book that has been bought
sehen	gesehen	die gesehene Landschaft	the landscape that has been seen
essen	gegessen	das gegessene Essen	the food that has been eaten

Using Participle II

Participle II can also express active meanings when used with “sein”. Example: “Der gelernte Lehrer” refers to a teacher who has completed training.

Important Notes

When participles are used in adjective form, any modifiers that complement the description always appear to the left of the participle and do not require an additional ending.
Certain verbs like “sein”, “haben” and some others cannot be used in their Participle II form as adjectives.

By understanding the use of participles as adjectives, you can significantly enhance your German skills and communicate more precisely. Use these forms to make your language more diverse and interesting.