German Adjectives and Participles as Nouns / Adjektive und Partizipien als Nomen

In this lesson, you will learn German adjectives and participles that function as nouns. You will understand how they are formed, what they mean, and the precise ways to use them effectively.

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CONTENTS

Using adjectives and participles as nouns
Adjectives as Nouns
Participles as Nouns
Declension of adjectives and participles as nouns
Exceptions
Das
Nichts, etwas …
Adjectives as Nouns without the ending –e
Presentation of nominal adjectives in a table

Using adjectives and participles as nouns

Adjectives and participles can also be used in German as nouns. Converting an adjective or participle into a noun is simple. We omit the noun if it is obvious or commonly known, and in its place, we use the adjective or participle. This results in the adjective or participle becoming a noun, which is then written with a capital letter.
For example:

Ein alter Mann geht im Park spazieren. Ein Alter geht im Park spazieren.
Ein obdachloser Mann liegt auf der Bank. Ein Obdachloser liegt auf der Bank.

Adjectives and participles I and II can also be used in German as nouns. Here are some examples:
Adjective as a noun:        arm      = der Arme, ein Armer, die Arme
Participle I as a noun:     reisend   = der Reisende, ein Reisender, die Reisende
Participle II as a noun:   verletzt   = der Verletzte, ein Verletzter, die Verletzte

Adjectives as Nouns

In German, almost any adjective can be used as a noun.

der Alte –the old man
die Alte – the old woman
die Alten the old people

Adjectives used as nouns like this have a capital letter, but they keep their adjectival ending.
This ending is “weak” or “strong” depending on the determiner, as the table below shows for der Jugendliche – the young man

obdachlos – der Obdachlose, eine Ondachlose, die Obdachlosen (plural),  viele Obdachlose
homeless – the homeless, a homeless person, the homeless (plural), many homeless people

The femininte equivalent has the adjective endings, e.g. in the nominative case singular die Jugndliche, eine Jugendliche. Correspondingly, neuter adjectival nouns have the appropriate neuter adjective endings, e.g. das Schöne – the beautiful thing/ quality.

Masculine and feminine adjectives used as nouns usually refer to people.

In English, we often need to add a noun like “man,” “woman,” or “people” when translating adjectival nouns from other languages. However, many commonly used adjectival nouns have simple noun equivalents in English.

For example:
der/ die Abgeordnete – representative
der Beamte/ die Beamtin – civil servant
der/ die Bekannte – acquaintance
der/ die Deutsche – German
der/ die Erwachsene – adult
der/ die Fremde – stranger
der/ die Reisende – traveller
der/ die Staatsangehörige – citizen
der/ die Überlebende – survivor
der/ die Verlobete – fince/ fincee
der/ die Verwandte – relative
der/ die Vorgestzte – superior
der/ die Vorsitzende – chair(man)

For example, the female form of “der Beamte” is the regular noun “die Beamtin.”

Neuter adjectival nouns usually denote abstract ideas.
In English, this often requires adding a word like “things.”
For example:
Es ist schon Schlimmes passiert. – Bad things have already happened.
Ich habe bereits vieles Neues erlebt. – I have already experienced many new things.
hese adjectival nouns are often used after indefinite articles, with the appropriate weak or strong ending based on the determiner’s ending.
For example:
Alles Gute! – everything (that is) good/ All the best!
etwas Schönes – something beautiful / something nice
Nichts Neues/ von nichts Neuem – nothing new/ of nothing new
wenig Interesantes  – nothing much of interest

Participles as Nouns

Some participles can be used as nouns:

Participle II
vorgesetzt – ein Vorgesetzter, der / die Vorgesetzte, die Vorgesetzten
angestellt – ein Angestellter der/ die Angestellte, die Agnestellten
betrunkemn – ein Betrunkener, der/ die Betrunkene, die Betrunkenen

Examples:

Der Jugendliche (sg.N) war nach London gefahren.  – The young man had gone to Paris.
Bei den Jugendlichen (pl.dat) handelte es sich um Deutsche. – The young people were German.
Ein Jugendlicher (sg.N.) wurde verletzt. – A teenager was injured.
Jugendlichen (pl. dat.) ist der Zutritt nicht gesattet. – Young people are not allowed to enter.

Declension of adjective and participles as nouns

Adjectives and participles that function as nouns are still declined as adjectives. They are capitalized and preceded by an article.

Adjective declension is common with persons.

For example:
eine Deutsche, ein Deutscher
der Verletzte, die Verletzte
der Bekannte, die Bekannte
der Neue,  der Kranke

Adjective declension is rare with things.

For example:
alles Liebe, etwas Neues, alles Gute

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Grammar Contents

Exceptions

der Beamte (is declined as an adjective)
die Beamtin (is declined as a noun)

Das

If nominal adjectives are preceded by the article das, then the adjective is most often translated with what is, but also with the adjective itself:

Wir haben das Unmögliche erreicht. – We have achieved the impossible.
Das Teuerste ist nicht immer das Beste. – The most expensive is not always the best.

Nichts, etwas …

After nichts, etwas, alles, manches, allerlei, wenig, adjectives are written with a capital letter:
Es gibt nichts Neues. – There’s nothing new.
Ich wünsche dir alles Gute. – I wish you all the best.

Adjectives as Nouns without the ending -e

The nominal adjectives without -e are used without an article and attribute, but if there is an article and attribute, then -e is added.
Ich lerne Deutsch und Englisch. – I am learning German and English.
Ich spreche kein Italienisch.  – I don’t speak Italian. 
Übersetzen Sie das ins Deusche.  – Translate that into German. 

Presentation of nominal adjectives in a table

Some nominal adjectives have completely lost the adjective meaning, but have retained the adjective declension:

Examples:
Ein Reisender kam zur Polizei.  – A traveler came to the police. 
Der Reisende verlor seine Dokumente. –The traveller lost his documents.
Viele Reisende sind angekommen. – Many travellers have arrived.
Reisende müssen sich bei der Polizei anmelden. –Travellers have to register with the police.

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