3.7.1 Past participles (Partizip I)

Form and Meaning of Partizip I

In German grammar, Partizip I is the form that corresponds to the English “-ing” form as an adjective, for example “running water” or “crying child.” It is not used as a continuous tense like in English, but mainly as an adjective or adverbial expression.

Partizip I is also called Partizip Präsens, because it usually describes an action happening at the same time as the main verb.

Partizip I always keeps the idea of an ongoing or simultaneous action, never of a completed action.

Building Partizip I

The formation of Partizip I is very regular. You always take the infinitive form and add the ending -d.

Table: Formation of Partizip I from infinitives

There are no irregular forms of Partizip I. Strong verbs and modal verbs follow the same pattern.

Examples with strong and modal verbs

In everyday language, many of these forms are rare. Some, however, are very common in written and formal German, especially with sein, haben, and common verbs like arbeiten, schlafen, interessieren.

Examples

Er ist ein arbeitender Student.
Sie ist eine schlafende Katze.
Die interessierten Leser, the interested readers, is from the Partizip II, but you may also see constructions with Partizip I in more complex texts, for example die das Thema interessant findenden Leser.

Partizip I as an Adjective

Partizip I often functions as an adjective before a noun. In this role, it describes a noun with the meaning “that is doing something.”

Basic examples

Ein lachendes Kind.
A laughing child.

Die spielenden Kinder.
The playing children.

Das schlafende Baby.
The sleeping baby.

In English you usually use the -ing form, in German you use Partizip I. The idea is the same: the noun and the action happen at the same time.

Declension of Partizip I as an Adjective

When Partizip I is used as an adjective, it behaves like any other adjective in German. It follows adjective endings that depend on gender, number, case, and the article. At B1 level, you do not need to master all combinations perfectly, but you should recognize the forms.

Example with the verb “lachen” (to laugh)

You see that the participle lachend receives the same endings as any regular adjective: -e, -en, etc.

More examples

Der schlafende Hund liegt im Körbchen.
The sleeping dog is lying in the basket.

Ich sehe die spielenden Kinder im Park.
I see the playing children in the park.

Sie spricht mit dem wartenden Kunden.
She is talking with the waiting customer.

The participle changes with the article and the case. The basic stem stays the same: schlafend, spielend, wartend.

Partizip I as an Adverbial

Partizip I can also describe the way an action happens. In this case it is close to an adverbial phrase. This is common in written German, for example in stories, reports, and news.

Pattern in German

Partizip I, comma, main clause

or

Main clause, Partizip I phrase

In English you often translate this with an -ing clause, “while doing something” or “as he/she does something.”

Examples

Lachend ging er nach Hause.
Laughing, he went home. / He went home laughing.

Singend kochte sie das Abendessen.
Singing, she cooked dinner.

Er stand da, wartend auf den Bus.
He stood there, waiting for the bus.

Sie ging, ein Lied summend, durch die Stadt.
She walked through the city, humming a song.

In these examples the Partizip I shows an action that happens at the same time as the main verb. The subject is the same in both parts.

If they are not the same, the sentence becomes confusing or incorrect.

Typical Written Uses of Partizip I

In everyday spoken German, people prefer simpler structures, for example with “während” or a full clause. In written German, especially in newspapers, academic texts, or formal writing, Partizip I is more frequent. At B1 level you should mainly learn to understand it.

Common patterns in texts

Am Bahnhof wartend, las er die Zeitung.
Waiting at the station, he read the newspaper.

Die Polizei fand den am Boden liegenden Mann.
The police found the man lying on the ground.

Die im Park spielenden Kinder machten viel Lärm.
The children playing in the park made a lot of noise.

Often, a Partizip I phrase gives additional information and makes the text more compact. It can replace a relative clause or a “während” clause.

Comparison

Die Kinder, die im Park spielen, machen viel Lärm.
Die im Park spielenden Kinder machen viel Lärm.
The children who are playing in the park are making a lot of noise.

Both sentences are correct. The second one uses Partizip I to sound more compact and more written.

Partizip I vs. English -ing Form

Because Partizip I looks similar to the English -ing form, it is easy to think they are the same. They are not. English uses the -ing form for continuous tenses, gerunds, and participles. German Partizip I is only a participle, not a tense form.

Incorrect transfer from English

“I am reading” is not “Ich bin lesend.”
You must say: “Ich lese.”

Correct uses are like English attributive or adverbial -ing.

A crying baby = ein weinendes Baby.
She went home laughing = Lachend ging sie nach Hause.

So do not translate every English -ing with Partizip I, only when it functions like an adjective or adverbial phrase.

Meaning Nuances with Partizip I

Partizip I always focuses on an action in progress or on a characteristic of the noun. The action is typically simultaneous with another action or with the moment of speaking.

Examples of nuances

ein brennendes Haus
a house that is currently burning, a burning house

ein wachsender Baum
a tree that is growing, a growing tree

die sprechende Person
the person who is (now) speaking, the speaking person

Sometimes Partizip I can express a more abstract, general characteristic.

ein faszinierender Film
a film that fascinates people, a fascinating film

eine überzeugende Argumentation
an argumentation that convinces, a convincing argument

Here, Partizip I forms a “normal” adjective that describes a general quality, not only a current action.

Partizip I with Objects and Complements

Partizip I can also take objects or other complements, because it is based on a verb. This is frequent in more advanced written German, but you can already recognize the pattern at B1 level.

Pattern

Partizip I + its object/complement + noun

Examples

die am See spielenden Kinder
the children who are playing at the lake

ein in Berlin arbeitender Ingenieur
an engineer who works in Berlin

die auf den Bus wartende Frau
the woman who is waiting for the bus

ein laut Musik hörender Nachbar
a neighbor who is listening to loud music

You can translate this structure with a relative clause in English if that feels clearer.

die auf den Bus wartende Frau = die Frau, die auf den Bus wartet
the woman who is waiting for the bus

Common Fixed Expressions with Partizip I

Some Partizip I forms are very common and almost behave like fixed adjectives in German. At B1 level you will see these often.

Examples

ein lebendes Tier
a living animal

eine bestehende Regel
an existing rule

ein lächelnder Verkäufer
a smiling salesperson

ein wachsender Markt
a growing market

ein spannender Film
a suspenseful film, literally “spannend” from “spannen”

These adjectives often come directly from Partizip I and are understood as Partizip I forms, even when used very frequently as adjectives.

Position in the Sentence

The position of Partizip I depends on its function.

Before the noun as an adjective

Usually directly in front of the noun, like any adjective.

die schlafende Katze
die laut lachenden Kinder
ein in Hamburg lebender Student

As an adverbial at the beginning or in the middle

It can stand before or after the main clause, separated by commas.

Lachend öffnete sie die Tür.
Sie öffnete lachend die Tür.
Sie öffnete die Tür, lachend und gut gelaunt.

Longer participle phrases are usually separated with commas.

Am Fenster stehend, beobachtete er die Straße.
Stehend am Fenster, beobachtete er die Straße.

Register: When to Use Partizip I

For B1 learners, it is more important to understand Partizip I than to use it actively all the time.

In spoken German

People use simple forms.

Während er lacht, geht er nach Hause.
Er lacht und geht nach Hause.

In written German

You are more likely to see Partizip I.

Lachend ging er nach Hause.
Die am Projekt arbeitenden Mitarbeiter trafen sich gestern.

At B1 level you can start to use simple, clear Partizip I phrases, especially with very common verbs like gehen, stehen, sitzen, lachen, warten.

Examples you can safely use

Lachend kam sie ins Zimmer.
He came into the room laughing.

Die wartenden Leute sind müde.
The waiting people are tired.

Das schlafende Kind ist süß.
The sleeping child is cute.

Summary of Partizip I

Partizip I is easy to form but used in specific ways.

Formation

Infinitive + d: machen → machend, schlafen → schlafend.

Function

It works mainly as an adjective or as an adverbial phrase. It does not create continuous tenses as in English.

Meaning

It indicates an ongoing, simultaneous action or a characteristic, often in a compact written style. Frequently it can be paraphrased with a relative clause or a “während” clause.

If you can recognize and understand Partizip I in texts, you will be more comfortable reading B1 and higher level German.

Vocabulary from this Chapter