Adjektivisch

Adjektivisch is a German linguistic term that means “adjectival” or relating to adjectives. The word is formed from Adjektiv plus the suffix -isch and is used to describe items, forms, or functions that behave like adjectives in language.

In grammar, adjectival elements modify nouns and can serve different functions. Attributive adjectives appear directly before the noun and carry inflection to reflect gender, number, and case (for example, ein roter Ball). Predicative adjectives follow a linking verb (Der Ball ist rot) and describe the subject. Both usages are described as adjectival in function, even though they occupy different positions in the sentence.

Adjektivisch can also describe forms that originate from verbs but function as modifiers, such as participles used as adjectives (eine zerbrochene Tasse, eine gelernte Fähigkeit). This broad sense includes adjectives and participial phrases that modify nouns rather than verbs.

Morphologically, adjectives in German often show strong or weak inflection depending on determiners or article presence, which is a typical focus in adjectival description. Adverbial uses of adjectives exist in German as well, but these are typically treated as a separate category rather than purely adjectival.

In linguistic usage, “adjektivisch” is a general label for adjective-like phenomena, including attributive adjectives, predicative adjectives, adjectival participles, and adjectival phrases. The term helps distinguish adjective-like modification from other word classes such as nouns, verbs, or adverbs.

See also: Adjektiv, Adjektivattribut, Adjektivdeklination, Partizip I/II as adjectives.