Das Lesen macht Spaß.
English: Reading is fun.
- Language
- German
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Nominal- und Adjektivstrukturen
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Nominalisierung in German means turning verbs or adjectives into nouns. This is a common way to create more formal or abstract expressions.
When to use it
Use nominalization when you want to talk about actions, qualities, or ideas as things. It is common in formal writing, instructions, and to make your language more varied.
Key forms
- Verb + Artikel (das, die, der) → das Essen, das Lernen
- Adjektiv + Artikel → das Gute, das Neue
- Immer mit großem Anfangsbuchstaben
Examples
Beim Kochen höre ich Musik.
English: I listen to music while cooking.
Das Wichtigste ist die Gesundheit.
English: The most important thing is health.
Nach dem Arbeiten gehe ich spazieren.
English: After working, I go for a walk.
Die Entscheidung war schwierig.
English: The decision was difficult.
Tips
- Always write the nominalized word with a capital letter.
- Remember to use the correct article (das, die, der) for the noun.
- Pay attention to the case (Nominative, Accusative, Dative, Genitive) after prepositions.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some nominalizations have irregular forms, like 'die Fahrt' from 'fahren'.
- Not all verbs or adjectives can be nominalized in the same way.