The German Past Participle (Partizip II)

The Partizip II, or German past participle, describes a completed action or a resulting state. It corresponds to forms such as “written”, “cooked”, “read” and “opened”.

In German, the Partizip II is used in two main ways:

• To describe a state resulting from a completed action, for example: “The door is closed.”
• As an attributive adjective before a noun, for example: “the written letter”.

How to form the Partizip II

The Partizip II is formed in the same way as the participle used in the Perfekt tense.

• Weak verbs: ge- + verb stem + -t
  • kaufen → gekauft
  • machen → gemacht
• Strong verbs: ge- + changed stem vowel + -en
  • schreiben → geschrieben
  • lesen → gelesen
• Mixed verbs: ge- + changed stem + -t
  • bringen → gebracht
  • denken → gedacht

How to use the Partizip II

Describing a state

The structure sein + Partizip II describes a state. This is also called the stative passive.

Examples:

• Die Tür ist geschlossen. – The door is closed.
• Das Fenster ist geöffnet. – The window is open.
• Das Auto ist repariert. – The car is repaired.
• Das Zimmer ist aufgeräumt. – The room is tidy.

Using it as an adjective

When the Partizip II appears before a noun, it functions as an adjective and takes adjective endings.

Examples:

• der geschriebene Brief – the written letter
• die geöffnete Tür – the opened door
• das gekaufte Auto – the purchased car
• das gelesene Buch – the read book

Negation

When the Partizip II is used as an adjective, nicht is not normally used for negation. The prefix un- is the usual solution.

Examples:

• ein ungelesenes Buch – an unread book
• eine unbeantwortete Frage – an unanswered question
• ein unbekannter Mann – an unknown man

Examples in complete sentences

• The door is closed. – Die Tür ist geschlossen.
• The window is open. – Das Fenster ist geöffnet.
• The written letter is here. – Der geschriebene Brief liegt hier.
• The cooked soup is on the table. – Die gekochte Suppe steht auf dem Tisch.
• The read book is mine. – Das gelesene Buch gehört mir.
• The repaired car is parked in the street. – Das reparierte Auto steht auf der Straße.
• The work is finished. – Die Arbeit ist beendet.
• The guests are invited. – Die Gäste sind eingeladen.

Common mistakes

1. Confusing the Perfekt with the Partizip II: The Perfekt always requires an auxiliary verb, haben or sein. However, the Partizip II can stand alone when it is used as an adjective.
2. Forgetting the adjective ending: The Partizip II must take an adjective ending when it describes a noun.
   • Incorrect: der geschrieben Brief ❌
   • Correct: der geschriebene Brief ✅
3. Using nicht incorrectly: The usual form is ein ungelesenes Buch, not ein nicht gelesenes Buch.

Practical steps for learning the Partizip II

1. Learn each new verb together with its Partizip II form.
2. Identify whether the verb is weak, strong or mixed.
3. Practise the structure sein + Partizip II to describe states.
4. Place the Partizip II before a noun and add the correct adjective ending.
5. For adjective-based negation, check whether the prefix un- is appropriate.
6. Remember the distinction: the Perfekt needs haben or sein, while an adjectival Partizip II can be used independently.