Predicativ

Predicativ, or predicative, is a term in grammar used to describe a word or phrase that predicates a property or state of the subject in a clause that contains a linking or copular verb. The predicative element appears in the predicate of the sentence, typically following verbs such as be, seem, become, or appear, and it provides information about the subject. It contrasts with attributive modifiers, which attach to a noun within a noun phrase; a predicative element does not modify a noun directly but completes the predicate as a description of the subject.

Predicatives can be adjectives, noun phrases, pronouns, or even clauses, depending on the language. For example, in English: “The sky is blue” uses the predicative adjective blue after the copula be, while “The problem is a mystery” uses a predicative nominal. In German, predicative adjectives typically appear in their base form after a copula (as in “Er ist müde”), and predicative nominals can occur in clauses like “Er wird Arzt.” These differences reflect language-specific rules for how adjectives and nouns behave in predicative position.

In linguistic analysis, predicatives are often discussed as part of the broader category of predicative complements or predicative constructions. They are distinguished from attributive predication (within noun phrases) and from non-predicative uses of the same words. Understanding predicativity helps explain how languages encode properties, states, and identity in clauses that use linking verbs.