Prädikatsobjekte

Prädikatsobjekte, also known as predicate objects or predicative complements, are grammatical elements in some languages that describe or rename the subject of a sentence. They typically follow a linking verb, such as "to be," "to seem," or "to become." Unlike direct or indirect objects, which receive the action of a transitive verb, a Prädikatsobjekt does not directly participate in the verb's action. Instead, it provides additional information about the subject's state, identity, or characteristic.

There are two main types of Prädikatsobjekte: predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives. A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun that renames the subject. For example, in the sentence "She is a doctor," "doctor" is a predicate nominative, identifying what "she" is. A predicate adjective is an adjective that describes the subject. In the sentence "He seems tired," "tired" is a predicate adjective, describing the state of "he." The presence and function of Prädikatsobjekte vary significantly across languages, with some languages having them more prominently than others. Their identification is crucial for understanding sentence structure and meaning, particularly in languages that rely heavily on them for predication.