Zustandsatz

Zustandsatz is a term used in logic and semantics to denote a sentence that ascribes a state of affairs to the world. In this usage, the sentence characterizes a static condition or relation of objects or situations, rather than an event or process. Zustandsätze are typically concerned with the current or enduring state of things and are analyzed in terms of their truth conditions relative to a given world state and time.

Examples of Zustandsätze include sentences like “Der See ist still,” “Der Tisch steht im Raum,” or “Es ist kalt draußen.” Such sentences describe properties, locations, or conditions that are observable and can be verified by reference to the state of the world at a particular moment. They are often discussed in contrast to statements that emphasize actions, events, or processes.

In linguistic and philosophical discussions, Zustandsätze are examined for how they interact with tense, aspect and context, since the truth of a Zustandsatz can depend on when the state is being described. They are sometimes treated within broader frameworks of truth-conditional semantics as expressions of states of affairs or property ascriptions, and they may overlap with related notions such as fact sentences or predicate sentences in certain texts.

The term is primarily used in German-language philosophy and logic literature. Because terminology can vary across authors, Zustandsatz may be described differently in some sources, but the core idea remains the designation of a sentence that attributes a static state or condition to the world.