geparticiple

The ge-participle is the past participle form of a West Germanic verb formed with the prefix ge- in many varieties of Germanic languages, most notably German and Dutch. It functions as the main participial form used for perfect tenses and can also appear adjectivally or predicatively.

In German, the past participle is typically built by adding ge- to the verb stem and a final ending that depends on the verb class. For regular (weak) verbs, the ending is -t: machen → gemacht. For irregular (strong) verbs, the ending is -en: sehen → gesehen. Verbs with separable prefixes generally do not take ge-; the prefix remains attached and the participle is formed from the stem, as in aufstehen → aufgestanden. The ge- participles are used with auxiliary haben or sein to form Perfekt and other composite tenses, and they can also function as adjectives, e.g., das geöffnete Fenster (the opened window).

In Dutch, the past participle is usually formed with the ge- prefix for most verbs: werken → gewerkt; zien → gezien; lopen → gelopen; zijn → geweest. Some verbs show different endings or irregular vowel changes, and the use of ge- varies with dialect and verb class. Separable-prefix verbs can also form participles without ge-, for example opstaan → opgestaan.

Beyond German and Dutch, similar ge- participles appear in other West Germanic languages, including Afrikaans, where ge- marks a past participle in many common verbs. The exact formation and usage can vary by language and dialect, but the ge-participle generally marks completed action and often serves adjectival functions.