schlafend

Schlafend is the present participle of schlafen in German and functions as an adjective describing a state of sleep. It denotes that someone or something is in the condition of sleeping, often in a descriptive or literary context.

Etymology and form: Schlafend is formed with the participle suffix -end from the verb schlafen. As a participle used as an adjective, it follows the typical German adjective declension patterns and agrees with gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies.

Declension (examples):

- Nominative: der schlafende Mann, die schlafende Frau, das schlafende Kind

- Accusative: den schlafenden Mann, die schlafende Frau, das schlafende Kind

- Dative: dem schlafenden Mann, der schlafenden Frau, dem schlafenden Kind

- Genitive: des schlafenden Mannes, der schlafenden Frau, des schlafenden Kindes

Plural: die schlafenden Männer, die schlafenden Frauen, die schlafenden Kinder

Usage notes: Schlafend is typically used attributively with an article or determiner (der, ein, etc.). It can also appear predicatively in phrases like “der Mann ist schlafend” or more commonly “der Mann liegt schlafend im Bett.” It is distinct from the past participle geschlafen, which forms perfect tenses (hat geschlafen) rather than describing a current state.

Nuance and related terms: Schlafend conveys an ongoing state of sleep rather than the act of sleeping itself. Related words include Schlaf (sleep) and schläfrig (drowsy). In everyday language, speakers often prefer constructions such as “schlafend,” or rephrase with “schläft” or “im Schlaf” for simplicity.

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