Extended participial attribute

An extended participial attribute packs a whole relative clause between the article and the noun. The participle (I or II) carries its own objects and modifiers, all placed before the noun. It is a hallmark of formal written German (journalism, academic, legal texts).

• das gestern gekaufte Buch = das Buch, das ich gestern gekauft habe - the book I bought yesterday
• die seit Tagen andauernden Verhandlungen = die Verhandlungen, die seit Tagen andauern - the negotiations that have been going on for days

Example: Der vor zwei Jahren renovierte Bahnhof sieht jetzt modern aus. - The station renovated two years ago now looks modern.

Example: Das von vielen Lesern gelobte Buch wurde verfilmt. - The book praised by many readers was made into a film.

To understand one, unpack it into a relative clause; to build one, compress a relative clause and move its parts in front of the noun.

Common mistake: Misreading the agreement of the participle. The participle still agrees with the noun it modifies, and the article at the front belongs to that noun - not to the words that immediately follow it inside the attribute.

An extended participial attribute packs a whole relative clause between article and noun: 'das gestern gekaufte Buch' = the book bought yesterday.

Extended participial attributes are characteristic of formal written German. The participle (I or II) carries its own modifiers and objects, all placed between the article and the noun. They can always be rewritten as a relative clause.

Das erweiterte Partizipialattribut komprimiert einen Relativsatz: zwischen Artikel und Nomen stehen Ergänzungen und das Partizip. Typisch für die geschriebene Sprache.