Understanding German Participles: A Simple Guide

If you are learning German, you will eventually meet two very important verb forms: Partizip I and Partizip II. These are “participles” that act like a bridge between verbs and adjectives.

This guide breaks them down simply so you can use them correctly in your next German conversation.

1. Partizip I (Present Participle)

What is it?

Partizip I describes an action that is happening right now. It always has an active meaning.

How to form it:

Take the verb stem and add -end.

• singend (singing)
• lachend (laughing)

How to use it:

• As an Adjective (Attributive): It describes a noun.
  • Die singenden Vögel (The singing birds).
• As an Adverb: It describes how an action is done.
  • Er ging lachend davon (He walked away laughing).
• As a Noun: You can turn it into a person.
  • Der Lesende (The person reading).

Pro Tip (Level B2): If you add “zu” before Partizip I, the meaning becomes passive and usually expresses “necessity”. Example: Eine zu erledigende Arbeit (A job that must be done).

2. Partizip II (Past Participle)

What is it?

You likely already know Partizip II from building the Perfekt (past tense). It is mostly used for finished actions.

How to form it:

The rules change depending on the type of verb:

• Regular Verbs: Add ge- at the start and -t at the end.
• • machen -> gemacht.
• Verbs ending in -ieren: No “ge-” is used.
  • studieren -> studiert.
• Separable Verbs: The “-ge-” goes in the middle.
  • einkaufen -> eingekauft.

How to use it:

• Tenses & Passive: Used with haben, sein, or werden.
• • Wir haben gelesen (We have read).
• As an Adjective:
  • Passive meaning: Der geschriebene Text (The written text).
  • Active meaning: Used with verbs of movement that use sein.
  • Der eingefahrene Zug (The train that has arrived).

Summary Table: Partizip I vs. Partizip II