Participles as adjectives
Partizip I for something going on, Partizip II for something finished — both with normal endings.
German turns verbs into adjectives constantly. You already meet them while reading; this lesson is about noticing the pattern and using the common ones.
Partizip I = infinitive + d: lachen → lachend. It describes something going on.
ein lachendes Kind
a laughing child
the child is laughing right now
die wartenden Leute
the waiting people
steigende Preise
rising prices
Partizip II is the form you already know from the Perfekt. As an adjective it describes a finished state.
die geschlossene Tür
the closed door
somebody closed it; it is now shut
das reparierte Auto
the repaired car
die verlorene Tasche
the lost bag
The difference is active versus finished, and it is worth hearing clearly:
| Partizip I (going on) | Partizip II (finished) |
|---|---|
| das schlafende Kind — it is sleeping | das eingeschlafene Kind — it has fallen asleep |
| die kochende Suppe — it is boiling | die gekochte Suppe — it has been cooked |
| der wartende Gast — he is waiting | der bediente Gast — he has been served |
Both take the same adjective endings you already use. Nothing new: der/die/das decides, exactly as with klein or neu.
| Frame | With an ordinary adjective | With a participle |
|---|---|---|
| der … | der neue Wagen | der reparierte Wagen |
| die … | die kleine Tür | die geschlossene Tür |
| ein … (n.) | ein kleines Kind | ein lachendes Kind |
| die … (pl.) | die netten Leute | die wartenden Leute |
Several of these have simply become ordinary words, and it is easier to learn them as vocabulary than to build them each time: geöffnet, geschlossen, gebraucht (second-hand), verboten, bekannt, erlaubt.
Das Geschäft ist geöffnet.
The shop is open.
after sein it takes no ending at all
Ich habe ein gebrauchtes Fahrrad gekauft.
I bought a second-hand bike.
ein lachend Kindein lachendes Kind
In front of a noun a participle needs its adjective ending, like any other adjective.
die reparierende Tür (gemeint: sie wurde repariert)die reparierte Tür
Partizip I would mean the door is doing the repairing. For something done to it, use Partizip II.
Words from this topic
- geöffnetopen
- geschlossenclosed
- gebrauchtused, second-hand
- verbotenforbidden
- steigendrising
- bekanntwell known