Adoptiert

Adoptiert is the past participle of the German verb adoptieren, meaning to legally take a child as one’s own or to adopt something in a broader sense. It is used with the auxiliary haben in perfect tenses, for example: Ich habe ein Kind adoptiert. In the passive voice, forms like Ein Hund wurde adoptiert are possible, describing the action of adoption.

As an adjective in attributive position, the participle can appear as adoptierte or adoptiertes, depending on gender and case. For example: das adoptierte Kind, adoptiertes Tier, adoptierte Kinder. The basic participle form adoptiert is primarily a verbal form, while the attributive use with -e endings is common in written and spoken German.

Etymology and related terms: Adoptieren is borrowed from French adopter, which in turn comes from Latin adoptare, formed from ad- “toward” and optare “to choose.” The meaning evolves from the idea of choosing someone as one’s own.

Usage notes: Adoptiert covers both biological or legal adoption and figurative adoption of ideas, practices, policies, or technologies. In everyday language, it is common to say that someone has adopted a child or that a country or organization adoptiert a new policy or technique. The noun form related to the process is Adoption.

See also: Adoption, Adopt.

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