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Nominalization

Learn how nominalization works in German and how actions, qualities, and processes become nouns.

Nominalization in German refers to the process of turning verbs or adjectives into nouns. This is commonly done by capitalizing the word and, in many cases, adding an article. Nominalization is especially frequent in written German, formal language, and academic texts, where it allows ideas and actions to be expressed more abstractly.

In this guide, you will learn:

  • what nominalization is and how it is formed

  • how verbs and adjectives become nouns through capitalization

  • how articles and cases apply to nominalized forms

  • why nominalization is common in formal and written German

This guide helps English-speaking learners recognize nominalized structures and understand their role in German sentence style and register.

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