Suffixes in German are added to the ends of words to change their meaning or grammatical category. They can form new words, indicate diminutives, create adjectives, or show verb tenses. German suffixes are consistent and help with understanding word formation.

Noun Suffixes

Noun suffixes often indicate gender, form plurals, or create specific types of nouns.

-ung (feminine)

  • Meaning: Indicates an action or result; forms nouns from verbs.
  • Example: lernen (to learn) → die Lernung (the learning)
  • Tip: Always feminine.

-heit / -keit (feminine)

  • Meaning: Abstract nouns meaning “-ness” or “-ity.”
  • Examples: gesund (healthy) → die Gesundheit (health); möglich (possible) → die Möglichkeit (possibility)
  • Tip: Indicates abstract concepts.

-chen / -lein (neuter)

  • Meaning: Diminutive suffixes meaning “little.”
  • Examples: Haus (house) → das Häuschen (little house); Mädchen (girl, already diminutive)
  • Tip: Always neuter; plural adds -chen or -lein unchanged.

-er (masculine or plural)

  • Meaning: Can indicate a person associated with something or form plurals.
  • Examples: Lehrer (teacher); Kinder (children — plural of Kind)
  • Tip: Context determines meaning; -er often masculine singular or plural.

-schaft (feminine)

  • Meaning: Forms abstract collective nouns, often indicating groups or states.
  • Examples: Freund (friend) → die Freundschaft (friendship); Wissenschaft (science)
  • Tip: Always feminine; denotes collective or abstract idea.

Verb Suffixes

Verb suffixes help form different tenses, moods, or verb types.

-ieren

  • Meaning: Most borrowed from Latin/French; forms regular verbs.
  • Examples: studieren (to study); reparieren (to repair)
  • Tip: Always regular conjugation.

-eln / -ern

  • Meaning: Form verbs from nouns or adjectives; usually weak (regular).
  • Examples: handeln (to act); ändern (to change); lächeln (to smile)
  • Tip: Stem consonant may sometimes simplify (e.g., handelst).

-sieren

  • Meaning: A variant of -ieren, often from scientific or technical terms.
  • Examples: organisieren (to organize); stabilisieren (to stabilize)
  • Tip: Regular verbs, always stressed on the suffix.

-t / -et (past participle formation)

  • Meaning: Forms the past participle of regular verbs.
  • Examples: spielengespielt; arbeitengearbeitet
  • Tip: Add ge- prefix and -t/-et suffix; -et for stems ending in -t, -d, -m, -n + consonant.

How is the past participle of regular German verbs typically formed?


Add the prefix 'ge-' and the suffix '-t' or '-et'; use '-et' if the stem ends in '-t, -d, -m, -n' + consonant.

Regular past participles add 'ge-' at the beginning and '-t' or '-et' at the end, with '-et' used for stems ending in certain consonants plus 't' or 'd'.

Adjective Suffixes

Adjective suffixes form adjectives from nouns or other roots, often indicating qualities or relationships.

-ig

  • Meaning: “-y” or “-ful,” indicating a characteristic.
  • Examples: honig (honey) → honigig (honeyed); könig (king) → königig (regal)
  • Tip: Pronounce -ig like “-ich” (soft “ch”).

-lich

  • Meaning: “-ly” or “-like,” indicating resemblance or suitability.
  • Examples: freund (friend) → freundlich (friendly); natürlich (natural)
  • Tip: Commonly forms adjectives from nouns.

-isch

  • Meaning: “-ish,” indicating origin, type, or relation.
  • Examples: deutsch (German); kind (child) → kindisch (childish)
  • Tip: Often used for nationalities.

-los

  • Meaning: “-less,” indicating absence.
  • Examples: hoffnungslos (hopeless); arbeitslos (unemployed)
  • Tip: No separate ending for gender/case.

-bar

  • Meaning: “-able,” indicating possibility or suitability.
  • Examples: machbar (doable); essbar (edible)
  • Tip: Can be combined with past participle stems.

What does the suffix '-los' signify in German adjectives?


-less, indicating absence of something.

The suffix '-los' means '-less,' showing that something is lacking or absent.

Summary

German suffixes are building blocks that modify meaning and grammatical function. Recognizing them helps with vocabulary, grammar, and word formation.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025

Loco