Present Participle as an Adjective
Learn to express ongoing, simultaneous actions with the German Partizip I before a noun. Practise formation, adjective endings, and shortening relative clauses.
Explanation
Form and meaning
The German **Partizip I** describes an active action happening at the same time:
> Vor dem Café wartet ein **telefonierender Mann**.
Form it with **infinitive + d**: lachen → lachend, arbeiten → arbeitend, lächeln → lächelnd.
Before a noun
Before a noun, Partizip I behaves like an adjective and takes an **adjective ending**:
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| der + nominative | der wartend**e** Gast |
| ein + masculine nominative | ein wartend**er** Gast |
| eine + feminine nominative | eine wartend**e** Frau |
| ein + neuter nominative | ein spielend**es** Kind |
| plural | die wartend**en** Gäste |
| dative plural | mit wartend**en** Gästen |
The ending depends on article, case, gender, and number, just like any attributive adjective.
Shortening a relative clause
A relative clause describing an active simultaneous action can often be shortened:
> Die Frau, die am Fenster liest, → die **am Fenster lesende Frau**
Complements stay before the participle: **der leise sprechende Nachbar**.
Important limit
Partizip I is used attributively before a noun. For a normal ongoing action, say **Der Mann wartet**, not *Der Mann ist wartend*. Some forms have become ordinary adjectives, such as **spannend**, **anstrengend**, and **dringend**.
Exercises
- Turn the relative clause into a noun phrase with Partizip I. Write the complete expression. (11)
- Match each relative clause with the corresponding Partizip I phrase. (10)
- Form Partizip I and add the correct adjective ending. (11)
- Insert the correct Partizip I forms from the word bank into the connected text. (3)
B1 · German · Grammar