Appositions
What Are Appositions?
An apposition is a noun or noun phrase that immediately follows another noun and provides additional information about it. In German, an apposition is often set off by commas (if non-restrictive) and must agree in case with the noun it refers to.
Example:
- Goethe, der berühmte Dichter, wurde 1749 geboren.
(Goethe, the famous poet, was born in 1749.)
Here, “der berühmte Dichter” is an apposition providing additional information about Goethe.
2. Types of Appositions
A. Restrictive Appositions
A restrictive apposition stands directly next to the noun it refers to and forms a fixed unit with it. It is often a proper name, title, profession, or family designation and is not separated by commas, because it precisely identifies the noun.
Examples:
Königin Elisabeth hält eine Rede.
Queen Elizabeth gives a speech.
Professor Dr. Schneider leitet das Forschungsprojekt.
Professor Dr. Schneider leads the research project.
Die Stadt München ist bekannt für ihre Kultur.
The city of Munich is known for its culture.
Mein Bruder Thomas arbeitet als Ingenieur.
My brother Thomas works as an engineer.
Autorin Juli Zeh liest aus ihrem neuen Roman.
Author Juli Zeh is reading from her new novel.
Der Maler Vincent van Gogh wurde 1853 geboren.
(The painter Vincent van Gogh was born in 1853.)
Der Schriftsteller Thomas Mann gewann den Nobelpreis.
(The writer Thomas Mann won the Nobel Prize.)
Rule : Close appositions are not separated by commas because they clearly and precisely identify the noun they refer to.
3. Case Agreement
An apposition must agree in case with the noun it modifies.
Examples:
Case | Example |
Nominative | Goethe, der große Dichter, wurde in Frankfurt geboren. (Goethe, the great poet, was born in Frankfurt.) |
Accusative | Ich besuchte Goethe, den großen Dichter. (I visited Goethe, the great poet.) |
Dative | Ich sprach mit Goethe, dem großen Dichter. (I spoke with Goethe, the great poet.) |
Genitive | Die Werke Goethes, des großen Dichters, sind weltberühmt. (The works of Goethe, the great poet, are world-famous.) |
Tip:
- The article and adjective endings must match the noun’s case.
- Pay special attention to the dative and genitive cases!
4. Special Types of Appositions
A. Titles & Professions with additional information in Apposition
Examples:
Professor Müller, der bekannte Physiker, hält heute eine Vorlesung.
(Professor Müller, the well-known physicist, is giving a lecture today.)
Dr. Schmidt, mein Hausarzt, hat mich untersucht.
(Dr. Schmidt, my general practitioner, examined me.)
Angela Merkel, die ehemalige Bundeskanzlerin, ist Physikerin.
(Angela Merkel, the former chancellor, is a physicist.)
Thomas Mann, der berühmte deutsche Schriftsteller, gewann den Nobelpreis.
(Thomas Mann, the famous German writer, won the Nobel Prize.)
Meine Mutter, eine erfahrene Ärztin, arbeitet im Krankenhaus.
(My mother, an experienced doctor, works in a hospital.)
Tip:
- If the title comes before the name, no comma is needed:
- Professor Dr. Müller hält eine Vorlesung. (Professor Dr. Müller is giving a lecture.)
B. Appositions with Proper Names (Eigennamen)
Examples:
Die Insel Rügen, ein beliebtes Reiseziel, liegt in der Ostsee.
(The island Rügen, a popular travel destination, is located in the Baltic Sea.)
Der Fluss Rhein, einer der längsten Flüsse Europas, fließt durch Deutschland.
(The river Rhine, one of the longest rivers in Europe, flows through Germany.)
Berlin, die Hauptstadt Deutschlands, ist eine große Stadt.
(Berlin, the capital of Germany, is a big city.)
Paris, eine der meistbesuchten Städte der Welt, zieht viele Touristen an.
(Paris, one of the most visited cities in the world, attracts many tourists.)
C. Appositions with Numerals & Abbreviations
Examples:
Die deutsche Wiedervereinigung fand 1990, dem Jahr der Einheit, statt.
(German reunification took place in 1990, the year of unity.)
Der SUV, ein sehr beliebtes Auto, hat einen hohen Verbrauch.
(The SUV, a very popular car, has high fuel consumption.)
Appositions with als
Appositions can also be introduced by “als”. In this use, “als” expresses a role, function, or capacity, and no comma is usually used, because the phrase is closely linked to the noun.
Examples:
Die Prüfung wird von Benjamin als Prüfer beaufsichtigt.
(The exam is supervised by Benjamin in his role as examiner.)
Sie arbeitet als Lehrerin an einer internationalen Schule.
(She works as a teacher at an international school.)
Er wurde als Experte für das Projekt eingeladen.
(He was invited as an expert for the project.)
Maria spricht als Vertreterin der Studierenden.
(Maria speaks as the representative of the students.)
Der Autor schrieb den Text als Augenzeuge des Ereignisses.
(The author wrote the text as an eyewitness to the event.)
Rule: When “als” indicates an essential role or function, no comma is used.