Perfektparticipium

Perfektparticipium, also called Partizip Perfekt or Partizip II, is the form of a verb used to form the perfect tenses in German. It is not a tense by itself, but a participial form that combines with auxiliary verbs (haben or sein) to express completed actions. The Perfektparticipium can also function as an adjective or as part of passive constructions.

Formation and patterns: Regular (weak) verbs form the Perfektparticipium with ge- as a prefix and -t as the ending, for example arbeiten → gearbeitet, spielen → gespielt. Irregular (strong) verbs typically show stem changes and end in -en or -t, e.g. gehen → gegangen, schreiben → geschrieben, sehen → gesehen. Verbs with inseparable prefixes (be-, ver-, ent-, er-, zer-, etc.) usually do not take ge- in the participle, e.g. verstehen → verstanden, besuchen → besucht. Verbs ending in -ieren typically form the participle without ge- and with -iert, e.g. diskutieren → diskutiert. Some exceptions exist, and regional or historical usage may vary.

Functions and usage: The Perfektparticipium forms the Perfekt tense together with haben or sein, as in ich habe gemacht or er ist gegangen. In passive voice, the structure use werden plus Partizip II (Der Brief wird geschrieben). As an adjective, the participle can describe a noun and takes usual attributive or predicative endings: eine geöffnete Tür, eine gelesene Zeitung, er ist erledigt. The participle may also appear without an auxiliary in certain set phrases or as a reduced form in some styles.

Notes: The term Perfektparticipium is mainly synonymous with Partizip Perfekt / Partizip II. Its exact form depends on verb class, prefixation, and regional usage, and learners should consult a grammar for specific verbs.