Participles as Adjectives (Partizip I & II)
German participles can work as adjectives placed directly before a noun. This lets you say things like the sleeping dog or the repaired car in a single compact phrase — a pattern that appears constantly in everyday German speech and writing.
The mechanics are simple: form the participle, then add the standard adjective endings you already know. Partizip I captures an ongoing action (running, crying), while Partizip II captures a completed state (cooked, broken). Master both and your German instantly sounds more fluent.
Partizip I — Describing Ongoing Actions
Formation: Infinitive + d
| Infinitive | Partizip I | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| schlafen | schlafend | sleeping |
| laufen | laufend | running |
| lachen | lachend | laughing |
| kochen | kochend | boiling |
| weinen | weinend | crying |
Partizip I describes something actively happening at the moment described — equivalent to English -ing adjectives modifying a noun.
das schlafende Kind — the sleeping child
Note: Partizip I carries an active meaning — the noun is doing the action. A laufender Hund is a dog that runs.
Partizip II — Describing Completed States
Formation: The same past participle you already use in Perfekt.
| Infinitive | Partizip II | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| öffnen | geöffnet | opened |
| reparieren | repariert | repaired |
| kochen | gekocht | cooked |
| schreiben | geschrieben | written |
| zerbrechen | zerbrochen | broken |
Partizip II as an adjective describes a completed action or resulting state — usually passive in sense (something was done to the noun).
die geöffnete Flasche — the opened bottle
For change-of-state verbs that use sein in Perfekt, Partizip II shows the resulting condition:
das eingeschlafene Baby — the baby that has fallen asleep
Adjective Endings on Participles
When a participle stands directly before a noun, it must take adjective endings — the same ones you use for any adjective.
After definite article (der/die/das):
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | der laufende Mann | die laufende Frau | das laufende Kind | die laufenden Kinder |
| Acc. | den laufenden Mann | die laufende Frau | das laufende Kind | die laufenden Kinder |
| Dat. | dem laufenden Mann | der laufenden Frau | dem laufenden Kind | den laufenden Kindern |
After indefinite article (ein/eine):
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | ein laufender Mann | eine laufende Frau | ein laufendes Kind |
| Acc. | einen laufenden Mann | eine laufende Frau | ein laufendes Kind |
| Dat. | einem laufenden Mann | einer laufenden Frau | einem laufenden Kind |
Key endings: -e (definite nom. all genders), -er (indefinite nom. masc.), -es (indefinite nom./acc. neuter), -en (all other forms).
These exact same endings apply to Partizip II adjectives — just swap in the Partizip II stem.
📖 Examples
Das schlafende Kind liegt ruhig im Bett.
The sleeping child is lying quietly in bed.
Die geöffnete Tür lässt kalte Luft herein.
The opened door lets cold air in.
Er hat ein gebratenes Hähnchen bestellt.
He ordered a roasted chicken.
Die weinende Frau saß allein im Café.
The crying woman sat alone in the café.
Das reparierte Auto fährt jetzt wieder einwandfrei.
The repaired car is running perfectly again.
Wir haben das gekochte Gemüse mit Butter gewürzt.
We seasoned the cooked vegetables with butter.
Der laufende Motor macht sehr viel Lärm.
The running engine makes a lot of noise.
Das frisch gebackene Brot riecht wunderbar.
The freshly baked bread smells wonderful.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
das schlaf Kinddas schlafende Kind
You must add -d to the infinitive to form Partizip I, then add the correct adjective ending. Using a bare stem as an adjective is not grammatical in German.
ein repariert Autoein repariertes Auto
Partizip II still needs an adjective ending before a noun. After 'ein' with a neuter noun in nominative/accusative, the strong adjective ending is -es.
die öffnende Tür (intending: the door that was opened)die geöffnete Tür
Partizip I (öffnend) means the noun is actively doing the opening. To describe a door that has been opened — a passive, completed state — you must use Partizip II (geöffnet).
der schlafenden Mann (as the subject of a sentence)der schlafende Mann
After a definite article in the nominative, adjectives take -e (not -en) for all genders. The -en ending appears in accusative masculine and in all dative and genitive forms.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Which sentence correctly expresses 'the barking dog'? (bellen → bellend; der Hund, masculine nominative)
How do you say 'a broken window' in German? (zerbrechen → zerbrochen; das Fenster, neuter)
What does 'das kochende Wasser' mean?
Choose the correct form to complete 'Ich sehe ___.' (a sleeping cat; die Katze, feminine accusative)
Which form correctly expresses 'the written letter'? (schreiben → geschrieben; der Brief, masculine nominative)
What is the key difference between 'die wachsende Stadt' and 'die gewachsene Stadt'?
Die ___ (schreien) Kinder im Park stören die Nachbarn.
Ich habe das ___ (kochen) Fleisch aus dem Topf genommen.
Sie hat ein ___ (empfehlen) Buch aus der Bibliothek mitgenommen.
Das ___ (einschlafen) Baby liegt ruhig im Kinderwagen.