B2
💡Not sure what Nominativ or Akkusativ means?Word Functions →Word Families
Explicação
Word families (Wortfamilien)
A word family is a group of words sharing the same root and semantically related. Recognising word families lets you deduce the meaning of new words and build vocabulary systematically. German has exceptionally productive word formation through prefixes, suffixes, and compounding.
Word formation processes
| Process | Description | Example (arbeit-) |
|---|---|---|
| Suffixation | Add suffix to root | die Arbeit, der Arbeiter, die Arbeiterin |
| Prefixation | Add prefix | bearbeiten, verarbeiten, ausarbeiten |
| Compounding | Combine two words | der Arbeitsplatz, der Arbeitgeber, der Arbeitnehmer |
| Conversion | Change word class | arbeiten (verb) → das Arbeiten (noun) |
Example word families
| Root | Verb | Nouns | Adjectives |
|---|---|---|---|
| lern- | lernen | der Lerner, das Lernen | lernbar |
| frei- | befreien | die Freiheit, die Befreiung | frei, freiheitlich |
| sicher- | sichern | die Sicherheit, die Absicherung | sicher, unsicher |
Productive affixes
un- (negation), -heit/-keit (quality nouns, f.), -ung (process nouns, f.), -lich (adjectives), ver- (transformation), -bar (possibility adjective).
⚠️ Vocabulary strategy: when learning a new word, explore its whole family. Knowing frei gives you Freiheit, befreien, freiheitlich, Befreiung — four words for the price of one.
Exemplos
Die Polizei hat den Verdächtigen vernommen.
The police interrogated the suspect.
Sie hat sich vorgenommen, jeden Tag Sport zu machen.
She resolved to exercise every day.
Der Staat fördert junge Wissenschaftler.
The state funds young scientists.
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