Participles as adjectives (Partizip I/II)
B2 Partizipien als Adjektive (Partizip I/II) 46 / 52
In short
Both German participles can stand before a noun as adjectives and then take the normal adjective endings (lesson 25). Partizip I (infinitive + -d: lachend) is active and ongoing - das lachende Kind = the child that is laughing. Partizip II (the past participle: gekocht) is passive and completed - die gekochte Suppe = the soup that was cooked.
The rule
A participle used attributively sits in front of the noun and behaves exactly like any other attributive adjective - it takes the strong/weak/mixed ending from lesson 25.
Partizip I = Infinitiv + -d. It is active and describes an action happening at the same time: the noun is the one doing it.
das lachende Kind (= das Kind, das lacht) - ein spannendes Buch - die kochende Suppe - der bellende Hund
Partizip II as an adjective describes a completed action; with transitive verbs the noun is the one the action was done to (passive).
die gekochte Suppe (= die Suppe, die gekocht wurde) - ein geöffnetes Fenster - die verlorene Zeit - gebratene Kartoffeln
Both decline like ordinary adjectives, in every case and gender:
mit dem lachenden Kind - in der geschlossenen Tür - ein frisch gebackenes Brot - trotz der verlorenen Zeit
Two further uses of Partizip I:
- As an adverb (telling how something happens) it carries no ending: Sie kam lachend herein. - Er antwortete zögernd.
- zu + Partizip I as an attribute means to be / must be done (passive + necessity), and it does decline: das zu lösende Problem (= das Problem, das gelöst werden muss). With separable verbs the zu slips inside: ausfüllen -> das auszufüllende Formular. This is the gateway to the extended attributes of lesson 52.
Forms & patterns
Building the participles (Partizip I = Infinitiv + -d; Partizip II = the perfect participle from lesson 19):
| Infinitiv | Partizip I (+ -d) | Partizip II | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| lachen | lachend | gelacht | weak |
| kochen | kochend | gekocht | weak |
| öffnen | öffnend | geöffnet | weak |
| schlafen | schlafend | geschlafen | strong |
| braten | bratend | gebraten | strong |
| verlieren | verlierend | verloren | strong, no ge- |
Meaning contrast (same verb, two participles):
| Verb | Partizip I (active, ongoing) | Partizip II (passive, done) |
|---|---|---|
| kochen | die kochende Suppe = the boiling soup | die gekochte Suppe = the cooked soup |
| schließen | die schließende Tür = the closing door | die geschlossene Tür = the closed door |
| lesen | das lesende Kind = the reading child | das gelesene Buch = the read book |
Declension - just normal adjective endings. Example lachend (weak) and geschlossen (mixed):
| Case | Partizip I (weak) | Partizip II (mixed) |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | das lachende Kind | ein geschlossenes Fenster |
| Acc. | das lachende Kind | ein geschlossenes Fenster |
| Dat. | dem lachenden Kind | einem geschlossenen Fenster |
The endings are identical to lesson 25 - the participle just plays the role of the adjective stem (lachend-, geschlossen-).
Examples
| Deutsch | English |
|---|---|
| Das schlafende Baby soll man nicht wecken. | One shouldn’t wake the sleeping baby. |
| Sie liest gerade ein wirklich spannendes Buch. | She is reading a really exciting book right now. |
| Vorsicht, die kochende Suppe spritzt! | Careful, the boiling soup is splattering! |
| Zum Frühstück gab es frisch gebackenes Brot. | For breakfast there was freshly baked bread. |
| In der geschlossenen Tür steckte noch der Schlüssel. | The key was still in the closed door. |
| Niemand bekommt die verlorene Zeit zurück. | Nobody gets the lost time back. |
| Lächelnd reichte er mir die Hand. | Smiling, he held out his hand to me. |
| Das ist ein noch zu lösendes Problem. | That is a problem still to be solved. |
Common mistakes
- das
lachendKind -> das lachende Kind - in front of a noun a participle must take the adjective ending. - das
gelachendeKind -> das lachende Kind - Partizip I is just infinitive + -d; it never has ge-. - die
gekochendeSuppe -> die kochende Suppe (boiling) or die gekochte Suppe (cooked) - don’t blend the two; pick I (ongoing) or II (done). - Sie kam
lachendeherein -> Sie kam lachend herein - as an adverb Partizip I has no ending. - das
zu lösen / lösendeProblem -> das zu lösende Problem - the to-be-done attribute needs both zu and the -d ending. - das
zu ausfüllendeFormular -> das auszufüllende Formular - with separable verbs zu goes inside the word.
Tips
- Map to English: Partizip I ≈ -ing (active: laughing, boiling), Partizip II ≈ -ed / done (passive: cooked, closed, lost).
- Two-step recipe for Partizip I: (1) infinitive + -d -> lachend; (2) add the normal adjective ending -> das lachende Kind.
- Who does the action? The noun itself -> Partizip I (der bellende Hund). The action is done to the noun -> Partizip II (der reparierte Wagen).
- Watch the sein-verbs: an intransitive Partizip II can be active but completed - der angekommene Zug (the train that has arrived), die verwelkte Blume.