Kopulaverbene

Kopulaverben, also known as linking verbs or copular verbs, are a class of verbs in grammar that connect a subject to a subject complement. This subject complement can be a noun, pronoun, or adjective that renames or describes the subject. Unlike action verbs, copulaverben do not express an action performed by the subject. Instead, they indicate a state of being, a condition, or an identity.

The most common copulaverb in English is "to be" in its various forms (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been). However, other verbs can also function as copulaverben. These are often referred to as sensory verbs or verbs of appearance, such as "seem," "appear," "look," "sound," "smell," "taste," and "feel." Verbs indicating a change of state, like "become," "get," and "grow," can also act as copulaverben.

The function of a copulaverb is to establish a relationship between the subject and the complement. For example, in the sentence "She is a doctor," "is" links the subject "She" to the noun complement "doctor," indicating that "She" is identified as a doctor. In "The soup tastes delicious," "tastes" links the subject "soup" to the adjective complement "delicious," describing the soup's quality. Understanding copulaverben is crucial for analyzing sentence structure and identifying the grammatical role of different parts of speech.