C1 · Participial clauses
Aus dem Fenster blickend, dachte sie an früher.
a Partizip I phrase: two things at the same time
FormPartizip-I-Gruppe (-end), + Verb + Subjekt …
Meaning and usage
A phrase built on Partizip I (blickend, wissend, pfeifend) and closed by a comma describes what the subject is doing at the same time as the main action: Aus dem Fenster blickend, dachte sie an ihre Kindheit means she looked out of the window and thought of her childhood. Nicht wissend, was ich tun sollte, bat ich ihn um Hilfe: not knowing what to do.
As with the Partizip II phrase, the subject is borrowed from the main clause, and the phrase counts as the first element, so the verb follows the comma. It belongs to written narrative. In speech German says Sie sah aus dem Fenster und dachte an ihre Kindheit or uses während.
Examples 5
Aus dem Fenster blickend, dachte sie an ihre Kindheit.
Looking out of the window, she thought about her childhood.
Nicht wissend, was ich tun sollte, bat ich ihn um Hilfe.
Not knowing what to do, I asked him for help.
Fröhlich vor sich hin pfeifend, lief er die Straße entlang.
He walked down the street whistling cheerfully.
Von Stein zu Stein springend, überquerte Tom den Fluss.
Tom crossed the river by jumping from rock to rock.
Zwei Stufen auf einmal nehmend, lief ich die Treppen hinauf.
I ran up the stairs, taking two at a time.
Test yourself
-
1 Sprachbausteine
Die Zeitung , wartete er auf den Zug.
Show answer
Correct answer: lesend
He reads and waits at the same time, so Partizip I: Die Zeitung lesend = while reading the newspaper. The subject of the main clause, er, does both.
- gelesen is Partizip II: the reading would be finished, not at the same time as the waiting.
- las A finite verb needs a subject and a conjunction; Die Zeitung las cannot stand before the main clause like this.
- zu lesen A zu-infinitive cannot replace a clause here.
In this topic: Participial clauses
- In Berlin angekommen, rief er sofort an. a Partizip II phrase in place of a whole clause
- Aus dem Fenster blickend, dachte sie an früher. a Partizip I phrase: two things at the same time
- ehrlich gesagt, genau genommen, zusammenfassend set phrases: to be honest, strictly speaking, in short
- abgesehen von, verglichen mit apart from, compared with: participles as prepositions
Example sentences from Tatoeba, used under CC BY 2.0 FR. See sources.