Prädikativadjektivs

Prädikativadjektivs, also known as predicative adjectives, are adjectives that describe the subject of a sentence indirectly through a linking verb. Unlike attributive adjectives, which directly precede the noun they modify, predicative adjectives follow a linking verb such as "sein" (to be), "werden" (to become), "bleiben" (to remain), or verbs related to senses like "scheinen" (to seem), "klingen" (to sound), "riechen" (to smell), "schmecken" (to taste), and "aussehen" (to look).

In German grammar, a prädikativadjektiv agrees in case and number with the subject it describes. For example, in the sentence "Das Auto ist neu," the adjective "neu" (new) is predicative, referring to the subject "Das Auto" (the car). If the subject were plural, "Die Autos sind neu," the adjective remains in its base form. When used with a different subject, it would still refer back to that subject.

Consider the sentence "Sie wird glücklich." Here, "glücklich" (happy) is a predicative adjective describing "Sie" (she) through the linking verb "wird." The adjective functions as a predicate, completing the meaning of the sentence by providing information about the state or quality of the subject. This is distinct from an attributive use, as in "eine glückliche Person," where "glückliche" directly modifies "Person." The predicative function is essential for describing the subject's condition or characteristic after an action or state has occurred.