Prädikativadjektive

Prädikativadjektive, also known as predicative adjectives, are adjectives that describe the subject of a sentence but are separated from the subject by a linking verb. In German grammar, they function as part of the predicate, providing information about the subject's state or quality. The most common linking verbs are "sein" (to be), "werden" (to become), and "bleiben" (to remain). Unlike attributive adjectives, which directly precede a noun and modify it, predicative adjectives do not agree in gender, number, or case with the noun they describe.

For example, in the sentence "Das Haus ist alt," "alt" is a predicative adjective describing "das Haus." It remains in its basic form regardless of the gender or number of the noun. If the sentence were "Die Häuser sind alt," "alt" would still not change. Similarly, with "werden," in "Sie wird müde," "müde" describes "sie." And with "bleiben," "Er bleibt ruhig," "ruhig" describes "er." The position of the predicative adjective is always after the linking verb. This grammatical feature distinguishes them clearly from attributive adjectives, which would appear before the noun, as in "das alte Haus." Understanding predicative adjectives is crucial for constructing grammatically correct German sentences.