B2 · Grammar · Partizip I und II als Adjektiv
German Participles as Adjectives: der lachende Mann, das gekochte Ei
The rulePartizip I (-end) describes something doing the action; Partizip II describes something the action has been done to, and both take ordinary adjective endings.
Two participles, two directions
| — | Formed from | Voice | Time | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partizip I | Infinitive + -d | Active | Ongoing | der lachende Mann: the laughing man |
| Partizip II | The perfect participle | Passive | Completed | das gekochte Ei: the boiled egg |
Partizip I is trivially easy to build: take the infinitive and add -d. laufen → laufend, schreien → schreiend, folgen → folgend. Then decline it like any other adjective.
- das schlafende Kind the sleeping child The child is doing the sleeping.
- das gestohlene Auto the stolen car The car had the stealing done to it.
- die steigenden Preise the rising prices
- die gestiegenen Preise the prices that have risen Intransitive verbs give a completed active reading, not a passive one.
What they replace
Every participial adjective can be unpacked into a relative clause, and that is the reliable way to check whether you have chosen the right one.
| Participle | Relative clause | English |
|---|---|---|
| der wartende Kunde | der Kunde, der wartet | the customer who is waiting |
| die bestellte Ware | die Ware, die bestellt wurde | the goods that were ordered |
| das laufende Verfahren | das Verfahren, das läuft | the ongoing proceedings |
| der angekommene Zug | der Zug, der angekommen ist | the train that has arrived |
Partizip I with zu
Add zu in front of the participle and the meaning becomes obligation or possibility: the attributive counterpart of sein + zu. It is a marker of formal written German.
- die zu lösende Aufgabe the task to be solved = die Aufgabe, die gelöst werden muss
- die nicht zu unterschätzenden Risiken the risks that should not be underestimated
Where it goes wrong
das kochende Ei
das gekochte Ei
Partizip I is active: das kochende Ei is an egg that is doing the boiling. For an egg that has been boiled you need Partizip II: das gekochte Ei. The same trap catches der überraschende Gast (a guest who surprises) against der überraschte Gast (a guest who was surprised).
Common questions
What is the difference between Partizip I and Partizip II as adjectives?
Partizip I is active and ongoing: der schlafende Hund is the dog that is sleeping. Partizip II is passive and completed: der gefundene Hund is the dog that was found. Unpacking each into a relative clause is the quickest check.
How do I form the German Partizip I?
Infinitive plus -d: lachen becomes lachend, arbeiten becomes arbeitend. Then it declines like any attributive adjective: das lachende Kind, mit dem lachenden Kind.
What does 'die zu lösende Aufgabe' mean?
'The task to be solved': zu plus Partizip I as an attribute expresses necessity or possibility, equivalent to a relative clause with müssen or können in the passive. It belongs to formal written German, especially official and academic texts.
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