Grundform

Grundform is a term used in German linguistics to denote the base form of a word—the form from which its inflected variants are derived. It generally corresponds to the lemma or dictionary form that is used for lookup in dictionaries and language-learning materials. The exact form considered the Grundform varies by word class: for verbs it is usually the infinitive (for example, gehen, kommen); for nouns it is typically the singular nominative form (das Haus); for adjectives the Grundform is the positive, uninflected form (groß). In many contexts, the Grundform serves as the canonical form in word lists, grammar tables, and morphological analyses.

Grundform is closely related to the concepts of lemma and lemma form. In computational linguistics, lemmatization aims to map inflected words to their Grundform. While some grammars distinguish between lemma and base form in particular ways, standard usage often treats the Grundform as equivalent to the lemma.

In education and lexicography, identifying the Grundform of a word helps learners understand its declension or conjugation patterns. The term separates a word’s core meaning from its grammatical endings and underpins how dictionaries, grammars, and language-processing tools organize and present word forms.

See also: lemma, infinitive, dictionary form, stem, lexeme.