ieren

Ieren is a German suffix used to form verbs from nouns or adjectives, a productive mechanism in modern German. Verbs with this ending are typically of foreign origin, especially from French or Latin, and they describe processes, actions, or activities related to the root.

The suffix is borrowed from the French suffix -ier (and ultimately from Latin), and in German it serves to create verbs that often correspond to English -ize or -ize-like meanings. The resulting verbs can denote turning something into a state, performing an activity associated with the root, or carrying out a process linked to the noun or adjective.

Common examples include organisieren (to organize), reparieren (to repair), telefonieren (to telephone), studieren (to study), and fotografieren (to photograph). These verbs are typically formed by adding -ieren to a stem derived from a noun or adjective, sometimes with a linking -i- or -ie- in the orthography, and the meaning is closely tied to the root concept.

Conjugation of -ieren verbs is generally regular in the present tense, following the standard weak-verb patterns: ich organisiere, du organisierst, er organisiert, wir organisieren, ihr organisiert, sie organisieren. The past participle is formed with ge- + -iert, as in organisiert. Spelling and pronunciation follow standard German rules for verbs ending in -ieren, with stress usually on the stem.

In usage, -ieren verbs are widespread in modern German, including many loanwords and technical terms. They are an important part of the productivity of German verb formation and contribute to a large and diverse lexicon.