Table of Contents
Function and Meaning of Partizip II
In German, the Partizip II is the main participle form used to talk about the past and to form passive structures. In English it often corresponds to forms like “done, seen, written, gone.”
You already use Partizip II in perfect tenses and the passive, but in this chapter the focus is on recognizing it, forming it correctly, and understanding its specific uses that are typical for level B1.
Key idea:
Partizip II is the form used with haben / sein to build perfect tenses and with werden / sein to build passive. It often looks like ge‑…‑t or ge‑…‑en.
Partizip II can also be used like an adjective, which is especially important for reading and for more precise descriptions in B1 texts.
Formation of Partizip II: Regular Verbs
For weak (regular) verbs, the pattern is usually simple.
Basic pattern:
Regular Partizip II:
ge + verb stem + t
Example: machen → gemacht
You remove the ‑en of the infinitive, keep the stem, add ge‑ at the beginning and ‑t at the end.
Table of typical regular verbs:
| Infinitive | Stem | Partizip II | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| machen | mach | gemacht | made, done |
| lernen | lern | gelernt | learned |
| wohnen | wohn | gewohnt | lived |
| spielen | spiel | gespielt | played |
| arbeiten* | arbeit | gearbeitet | worked |
| fragen | frag | gefragt | asked |
| hören | hör | gehört | heard |
| lachen | lach | gelacht | laughed |
| kaufen | kauf | gekauft | bought |
| sagen | sag | gesagt | said |
The verb arbeiten and other verbs with stems ending in ‑t or ‑d or certain consonant clusters need an extra ‑e‑ before ‑t for pronunciation.
If the stem ends in ‑t, ‑d, ‑m, ‑n after another consonant, you usually get ‑et:
arbeiten → gearbeitet, warten → gewartet, reden → geredet.
Formation of Partizip II: Strong and Mixed Verbs
With strong (irregular) verbs, Partizip II usually has ge‑ at the beginning and ‑en at the end, and often a vowel change in the stem.
Typical pattern:
Strong verbs:
ge + (changed) stem + en
Example: gehen → gegangen
Examples of strong verbs:
| Infinitive | Partizip II | English |
|---|---|---|
| gehen | gegangen | gone |
| kommen | gekommen | come |
| sehen | gesehen | seen |
| essen | gegessen | eaten |
| lesen | gelesen | read |
| schreiben | geschrieben | written |
| sprechen | gesprochen | spoken |
| trinken | getrunken | drunk |
| finden | gefunden | found |
| schlafen | geschlafen | slept |
Mixed verbs combine features of weak and strong verbs. They normally have ge‑…‑t, but the stem often changes.
Examples of mixed verbs:
| Infinitive | Partizip II | English |
|---|---|---|
| bringen | gebracht | brought |
| denken | gedacht | thought |
| kennen | gekannt | known (a person/place) |
| wissen | gewusst | known (a fact) |
| nennen | genannt | named, called |
| senden | gesendet / gesandt* | sent |
| wenden | gewendet / gewandt* | turned |
Forms with * may have two acceptable participles, sometimes with slightly different usage in advanced language.
At B1 level you should mainly be able to recognize the common mixed forms like gebracht, gedacht, gewusst, genannt and use them correctly.
Verbs without “ge‑” in Partizip II
Many verbs do not take ge‑ at the beginning of Partizip II. You should be able to recognize these groups:
Verbs with inseparable prefixes
Verbs with these prefixes do not add ge‑: be‑, emp‑, ent‑, er‑, ge‑, miss‑, ver‑, zer‑.
If a verb has an inseparable prefix, do not insert ge‑ in Partizip II.
Pattern: prefix + stem + t/en
Example: bekommen → bekommen, not *gebekommen.
Examples:
| Infinitive | Prefix | Partizip II | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| bekommen | be‑ | bekommen | received, got |
| besuchen | be‑ | besucht | visited |
| bezahlen | be‑ | bezahlt | paid |
| erklären | er‑ | erklärt | explained |
| erzählen | er‑ | erzählt | told, narrated |
| verstehen | ver‑ | verstanden | understood |
| verkaufen | ver‑ | verkauft | sold |
| vergessen | ver‑ | vergessen | forgotten |
| entkommen | ent‑ | entkommen | escaped |
| zerstören | zer‑ | zerstört | destroyed |
The participle of bekommen is identical to the infinitive: bekommen.
Verbs ending in ‑ieren
If a verb ends in ‑ieren, it will never have ge‑ in Partizip II.
Verbs in ‑ieren form Partizip II with ‑iert and no ge‑.
Example: telefonieren → telefoniert.
Examples:
| Infinitive | Partizip II | English |
|---|---|---|
| telefonieren | telefoniert | phoned |
| studieren | studiert | studied (at university) |
| fotografieren | fotografiert | photographed |
| organisieren | organisiert | organized |
| informieren | informiert | informed |
| reparieren | repariert | repaired |
| interessieren | interessiert | interested |
| passieren | passiert | happened |
| trainieren | trainiert | trained |
| markieren | markiert | marked, highlighted |
Separable Prefix Verbs and Partizip II
Separable prefix verbs (like aufstehen, einkaufen) put the ge‑ between the prefix and the stem.
Separable verbs:
prefix + ge + stem + t/en
Example: aufstehen → aufgestanden.
Examples:
| Infinitive | Prefix | Partizip II | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| aufstehen | auf‑ | aufgestanden | got up |
| einkaufen | ein‑ | eingekauft | shopped, bought |
| anrufen | an‑ | angerufen | called (by phone) |
| aufräumen | auf‑ | aufgeräumt | tidied up |
| mitkommen | mit‑ | mitgekommen | came along |
| einladen | ein‑ | eingeladen | invited |
| aufmachen | auf‑ | aufgemacht | opened |
| zumachen | zu‑ | zugemacht | closed |
| vorbereiten | vor‑ | vorbereitet | prepared |
| teilnehmen | teil‑ | teilgenommen | taken part, participated |
Note that a verb like vorbereiten is separable, although be‑ alone is an inseparable prefix. The separable part is vor‑. The ge goes after vor: vorbereitet.
Partizip II in Perfect Tenses and Passive
You already know how to build perfect tenses in general. The important point in this chapter is to see how Partizip II appears in those structures.
With “haben” and “sein” for completed actions
Partizip II always comes at the end of the clause.
Examples with haben:
| Sentence | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Ich habe das Buch gelesen. | Partizip II = gelesen, with haben. |
| Wir haben gestern eingekauft. | Partizip II = eingekauft. |
| Er hat lange gearbeitet. | Partizip II = gearbeitet. |
Examples with sein:
| Sentence | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Sie ist nach Berlin gefahren. | Partizip II = gefahren, motion with change of place. |
| Er ist früh aufgestanden. | Partizip II = aufgestanden, change of state / position. |
| Das Kind ist schnell eingeschlafen. | Partizip II = eingeschlafen. |
The auxiliary verb can change, but the Partizip II stays the same.
With “werden” and “sein” in passive sentences
In passive forms, Partizip II expresses the action that is done to the subject.
Examples with werden (process passive):
| Sentence | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Das Haus wird gebaut. | Partizip II = gebaut, present passive. |
| Die E‑Mails werden jeden Tag gelesen. | Partizip II = gelesen. |
| Die Aufgabe wurde gestern gemacht. | Partizip II = gemacht, past passive. |
Examples with sein (result passive):
| Sentence | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Die Tür ist geschlossen. | Partizip II = geschlossen, state: the door is closed. |
| Der Computer ist repariert. | Partizip II = repariert, result of an action. |
| Die Wohnung ist schon aufgeräumt. | Partizip II = aufgeräumt. |
At B1, you should be comfortable recognizing the Partizip II in such structures and understanding that it carries the main meaning of the action.
Partizip II Used as an Adjective
Partizip II can describe nouns like an adjective. This is very frequent in written German and in more formal or descriptive language.
Some common patterns:
- A Partizip II describes the result or quality of a noun.
- It often translates to “the X that is Y‑ed” in English.
Examples in simple form (without endings):
| German phrase | Literal idea | Natural English |
|---|---|---|
| die geschlossene Tür | the door that is closed | the closed door |
| ein geöffnetes Fenster | the window that is open | an open window |
| das gebrochene Bein | the leg that is broken | the broken leg |
| die getrockneten Blumen | the flowers that are dried | the dried flowers |
| ein zerbrochenes Glas | the glass that is broken | a broken glass |
In real sentences, the participles take adjective endings, but the key idea here is to recognize the participle itself.
Examples in context:
| Sentence | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Ich sitze auf dem kaputten Stuhl. | Partizip II as adjective: kaputt → kaputten (irregular, but used like adjective). |
| Sie wohnt in einem renovierten Haus. | Partizip II = renoviert → renovierten, describes the house. |
| Lies bitte die angehängte Datei. | Partizip II = angehängt → angehängte, describes the file. |
| Die geschriebene E‑Mail war sehr lang. | Partizip II = geschrieben → geschriebene, describes the email. |
When Partizip II is used like an adjective, it declines like an adjective and appears directly before the noun:
die geöffnete Tür, ein repariertes Auto, mitgebrachte Getränke.
At B1, the main goal is to understand these forms when reading and to start using frequent ones like geöffnet, geschlossen, repariert, kaputt, verloren in your own descriptions.
Typical Reading Patterns with Partizip II
In texts at B1 level you will often see structures where several pieces of information are packed into one phrase with a participle.
Common patterns include:
- Partizip II + noun, sometimes followed by a relative clause or prepositional phrase.
- Several Partizip II forms in a list.
Examples:
| German | Explanation |
|---|---|
| die gestern gekaufte Jacke | “the jacket that was bought yesterday” |
| die im Jahr 1990 gebaute Brücke | “the bridge that was built in 1990” |
| die in Deutschland produzierte Maschine | “the machine that is produced in Germany” |
| alle bisher gemachten Erfahrungen | “all experiences that have been made so far” |
You do not need to produce very complex structures yet, but you should be able to understand that gekaufte, gebaute, produzierte, gemachten are forms of Partizip II giving extra information about the noun.
Frequent Irregular Participles at B1
Some participles are very common and useful in everyday conversation and writing. Knowing them well will help you both in listening and speaking.
Here is a list of frequent irregular Partizip II forms that you should recognize instantly:
| Infinitive | Partizip II | English |
|---|---|---|
| anfangen | angefangen | begun, started |
| beginnen | begonnen | begun |
| bleiben | geblieben | stayed |
| bringen | gebracht | brought |
| denken | gedacht | thought |
| fahren | gefahren | driven, gone (by vehicle) |
| finden | gefunden | found |
| geben | gegeben | given |
| gefallen | gefallen | pleased, liked |
| gehen | gegangen | gone |
| gewinnen | gewonnen | won |
| helfen | geholfen | helped |
| kommen | gekommen | come |
| lassen | gelassen | left, let |
| laufen | gelaufen | run, walked (fast) |
| lesen | gelesen | read |
| nehmen | genommen | taken |
| schlafen | geschlafen | slept |
| schreiben | geschrieben | written |
| sehen | gesehen | seen |
| sprechen | gesprochen | spoken |
| stehen | gestanden | stood |
| treffen | getroffen | met |
| trinken | getrunken | drunk |
| vergessen | vergessen | forgotten |
| verlieren | verloren | lost |
| verstehen | verstanden | understood |
| waschen | gewaschen | washed |
Learning these forms specifically as participles, not only as part of perfect tense, will make it easier to recognize and use them flexibly.
Common Difficulties and How to Avoid Them
Students at B1 often make similar mistakes with Partizip II.
- Forgetting ge‑ with regular and strong verbs:
- Incorrect: Ich habe telefoniert is correct, but Ich habe ge-telefoniert is wrong, because of ‑ieren.
- Incorrect: Ich habe gearbeitet is correct, not Ich habe gearbeit.
- Adding ge‑ to verbs that should not have it:
- Incorrect: Ich habe gebesucht
Correct: Ich habe besucht. - Incorrect: Ich habe gefotografiert
Correct: Ich habe fotografiert. - Confusing infinitive with participle:
- Incorrect: Ich habe gehen nach Hause.
Correct: Ich bin nach Hause gegangen. - Incorrect: Ich habe essen.
Correct: Ich habe gegessen. - Using the wrong ending on the participle:
- Incorrect: ein renoviert Haus
Correct: ein renoviertes Haus.
At B1, pay special attention to which verbs drop ge‑ and to the difference between infinitive and Partizip II at the end of the clause.
New Vocabulary
| German | Part of speech | English |
|---|---|---|
| machen / gemacht | verb | to do, to make / done, made |
| lernen / gelernt | verb | to learn / learned |
| wohnen / gewohnt | verb | to live, reside / lived |
| spielen / gespielt | verb | to play / played |
| arbeiten / gearbeitet | verb | to work / worked |
| fragen / gefragt | verb | to ask / asked |
| hören / gehört | verb | to hear / heard |
| lachen / gelacht | verb | to laugh / laughed |
| kaufen / gekauft | verb | to buy / bought |
| sagen / gesagt | verb | to say / said |
| gehen / gegangen | verb | to go / gone |
| kommen / gekommen | verb | to come / come |
| sehen / gesehen | verb | to see / seen |
| essen / gegessen | verb | to eat / eaten |
| lesen / gelesen | verb | to read / read |
| schreiben / geschrieben | verb | to write / written |
| sprechen / gesprochen | verb | to speak / spoken |
| trinken / getrunken | verb | to drink / drunk |
| finden / gefunden | verb | to find / found |
| schlafen / geschlafen | verb | to sleep / slept |
| bringen / gebracht | verb | to bring / brought |
| denken / gedacht | verb | to think / thought |
| kennen / gekannt | verb | to know (be familiar with) / known |
| wissen / gewusst | verb | to know (a fact) / known |
| nennen / genannt | verb | to name, call / named, called |
| bekommen / bekommen | verb | to receive / received |
| besuchen / besucht | verb | to visit / visited |
| bezahlen / bezahlt | verb | to pay / paid |
| erklären / erklärt | verb | to explain / explained |
| erzählen / erzählt | verb | to tell, narrate / told |
| verstehen / verstanden | verb | to understand / understood |
| verkaufen / verkauft | verb | to sell / sold |
| vergessen / vergessen | verb | to forget / forgotten |
| zerstören / zerstört | verb | to destroy / destroyed |
| telefonieren / telefoniert | verb | to phone / phoned |
| studieren / studiert | verb | to study (at university) / studied |
| fotografieren / fotografiert | verb | to photograph / photographed |
| organisieren / organisiert | verb | to organize / organized |
| informieren / informiert | verb | to inform / informed |
| reparieren / repariert | verb | to repair / repaired |
| interessieren / interessiert | verb | to interest / interested |
| passieren / passiert | verb | to happen / happened |
| trainieren / trainiert | verb | to train / trained |
| markieren / markiert | verb | to mark, highlight / marked, highlighted |
| aufstehen / aufgestanden | verb | to get up / got up |
| einkaufen / eingekauft | verb | to shop / shopped |
| anrufen / angerufen | verb | to call (by phone) / called |
| aufräumen / aufgeräumt | verb | to tidy up / tidied up |
| mitkommen / mitgekommen | verb | to come along / came along |
| einladen / eingeladen | verb | to invite / invited |
| aufmachen / aufgemacht | verb | to open / opened |
| zumachen / zugemacht | verb | to close / closed |
| vorbereiten / vorbereitet | verb | to prepare / prepared |
| teilnehmen / teilgenommen | verb | to take part / taken part |
| bauen / gebaut | verb | to build / built |
| öffnen / geöffnet | verb | to open / opened |
| schließen / geschlossen | verb | to close / closed |
| trocknen / getrocknet | verb | to dry / dried |
| brechen / gebrochen | verb | to break / broken |
| renovieren / renoviert | verb | to renovate / renovated |
| verlieren / verloren | verb | to lose / lost |
| gewinnen / gewonnen | verb | to win / won |
| helfen / geholfen | verb | to help / helped |
| lassen / gelassen | verb | to let, leave / let, left |
| laufen / gelaufen | verb | to run / run |
| nehmen / genommen | verb | to take / taken |
| stehen / gestanden | verb | to stand / stood |
| treffen / getroffen | verb | to meet / met |
| waschen / gewaschen | verb | to wash / washed |
| kaputt (kaputt gegangen) | adj / verb phrase | broken / broken (has broken) |
| renoviert | participle / adj | renovated |
| geöffnet | participle / adj | open (state) |
| geschlossen | participle / adj | closed (state) |
| repariert | participle / adj | repaired |
| verloren | participle / adj | lost |