The past participle (Partizip II) is the core piece for all perfect tenses and most passive sentences in German. It can also function as an adjective (eine geöffnete Tür). Remember: the participle does not change from one tense to the other; only the auxiliary or adjective ending does.

Forming Past Participles

1. Regular (Weak) Verbs

Weak verbs are regular and keep the same stem vowel in every tense. Their past participle pattern is  ge‑ + stem + (e)t. If the stem ends in -d / -t or a consonant cluster, add an extra -e- before the t.

2. Strong & Mixed Verbs

Strong verbs are irregular, change their stem vowel and end in ‑en. Mixed verbs are also urregular and combine a vowel change with the weak ending ‑t. Both keep the prefix ge‑ unless an inseparable prefix blocks it.

3. Verbs ending in –ieren

Because the stress falls on the last syllable, these verbs never take ge‑. They end in ‑iert.

4. Inseparable Prefixes

Verbs beginning with be‑, emp‑, ent‑, er‑, ver‑, zer‑ never take an extra ge‑. Weak ones finish with ‑t; strong ones with ‑en.

5. Separable Prefixes

In separable verbs the ge- jumps between the prefix and the stem: prefix + ge‑ + stem + ending.

Word Order with Past Participles

In main clauses the participle occupies the sentence‑final slot. In subordinate clauses it directly precedes the auxiliary, which now comes last.

Past Participles in Different Structures

Note how the participle itself stays identical while auxiliaries shift with tense or voice.

Using Past Participles as Adjectives

When used adjectivally, the participle receives normal adjective endings while its internal form stays the same.