KAPITEL 5
| TEIL 1 - PRESENT
PERFECT TENSE: THE PAST
PARTICIPLE
|
B. Formation of the past participle of weak verbs (Das zweite Partizip der schwachen Verben)
German has three groups of verbs, each of them conjugated a bit differently:
- weak verbs (also called regular verbs)
- strong verbs (also called irregular verbs)
- mixed verbs (also called irregular weak verbs)
The past participle of weak verbs is formed by adding the prefix ge- and the suffix -t to the infinitival stem of the verb.
Infinitive Past Particple of weak verb
kauf -en ge + kauf + t
Because weak verbs are so regular (i.e., the stem never changes), your textbook or dictionary will probably not list any of the past participles of weak verbs. It will only list the infinitive form.
kochen -->
gekocht
(to cook)
kaufen --> gekauft
(to
purchase)
prägen --> geprägt
(to imprint, shape)
suchen --> gesucht
(to search)
tanzen --> getanzt
(to
dance)
The suffix is changed to -et in the following cases:
- when the stem of the verb ends in -d or -t (finden, arbeiten);
- when the stem of the verb ends in -n or -m preceded by a consonant other than l / r.
arbeiten -->
gearbeitet
(to work)
baden --> gebadet
(to bath)
gründen --> gegründet
(to found)
posten --> gepostet
(to post)
reden --> geredet
(to speak)
atmen --> geatmet
(to breath)
öffnen --> geöffnet
(to open)
rechnen --> gerechnet
(to
calculate)
Note:
- Verbs that end in -ieren do not take the the prefix ge-.
- Verbs with inseparable prefixes do not take the prefix ge-.
- Verbs
with
separable prefixes
put the prefix ge-
between the prefix and the stem.
sich informieren --> informiert (to inform oneself)
bewundern --> bewundert (to admire)
austauschen --> ausgetauscht (to exchange, swap)