Verbal Nouns with Complements in German

Overview

Verbal nouns (Verbalsubstantive) are created by nominalizing infinitives -- turning verbs into neuter nouns by capitalizing them: lesen becomes das Lesen (reading), schreiben becomes das Schreiben (writing). At the C1 level, the key challenge is not forming these nouns but using them with their original verbal complements intact. This means the nominalized verb can still govern objects, prepositional phrases, and adverbial modifiers, just as it would in verb form.

This construction is characteristic of formal and academic German. Where English might say "reading the book," German produces das Lesen des Buches, where the original direct object (das Buch) appears in the genitive. Similarly, prepositional complements are retained: beim Warten auf den Bus (while waiting for the bus), where the original verb warten auf keeps its prepositional object.

Mastering verbal nouns with complements is essential for understanding and producing formal written German, including academic papers, legal documents, and quality journalism. It allows you to compress entire clauses into concise noun phrases, a hallmark of sophisticated German prose.

How It Works

Formation

Any German infinitive can become a neuter noun:

• lesen → das Lesen
• schreiben → das Schreiben
• arbeiten → das Arbeiten

How Complements Transform

Verb Construction	Nominalized Construction	Example
Accusative object	Genitive object	das Buch lesen → das Lesen des Buches
Dative object	Dative retained (or genitive)	dem Kind helfen → das Helfen der Kinder
Prepositional object	Preposition retained	auf den Bus warten → das Warten auf den Bus
Adverbial modifier	Modifier retained	laut sprechen → das laute Sprechen

Common Preposition Patterns

Verbal Noun	Preposition	Example
das Warten	auf + acc.	das Warten auf den Zug
das Nachdenken	über + acc.	das Nachdenken über das Problem
das Bestehen	auf + dat.	das Bestehen auf der Regel
das Suchen	nach + dat.	das Suchen nach einer Lösung
das Arbeiten	an + dat.	das Arbeiten an dem Projekt

With Prepositions (beim, zum, etc.)

Preposition + Article	Meaning	Example
beim (= bei dem)	while / during	beim Lesen des Buches
zum (= zu dem)	for the purpose of	zum Schreiben des Briefs
vor dem	before	vor dem Verlassen des Hauses
nach dem	after	nach dem Lesen des Artikels

Examples in Context

German	English	Note
Das Lesen des Buches dauerte lange.	Reading the book took a long time.	Accusative → genitive
Beim Warten auf den Bus hörte ich Musik.	While waiting for the bus, I listened to music.	Prepositional complement retained
Das Schreiben des Briefs fiel mir schwer.	Writing the letter was difficult for me.	Accusative → genitive
Das ständige Nachdenken über das Problem ermüdet mich.	Constantly thinking about the problem tires me.	Adjective + prepositional complement
Vor dem Verlassen des Gebäudes prüfen Sie bitte die Fenster.	Before leaving the building, please check the windows.	Formal instruction
Zum Verständnis dieses Textes braucht man Vorkenntnisse.	To understand this text, one needs prior knowledge.	Nominalization with genitive
Das schnelle Fahren auf der Autobahn ist gefährlich.	Fast driving on the highway is dangerous.	Adverbial modifier retained
Beim Kochen des Essens unterhielten wir uns.	While cooking the meal, we chatted.	beim + genitive object
Das Erlernen einer Fremdsprache erfordert Geduld.	Learning a foreign language requires patience.	Accusative → genitive
Nach dem Abschluss des Studiums zog sie nach Berlin.	After completing her studies, she moved to Berlin.	Temporal use

Common Mistakes

Keeping the accusative instead of switching to genitive

• Wrong: das Lesen das Buch
• Right: das Lesen des Buches
• Why: When a verb's direct object becomes a complement of the verbal noun, it must change from accusative to genitive.

Dropping the complement entirely

• Wrong: Beim Warten hörte ich Musik. (when the specific complement matters)
• Right: Beim Warten auf den Bus hörte ich Musik.
• Why: If the prepositional complement is important for meaning, it should be retained. Dropping it may lose essential information.

Using a clause where a verbal noun phrase would be more appropriate in formal writing

• Wrong (in formal context): Bevor man das Gebäude verlässt, soll man die Fenster prüfen.
• Better: Vor dem Verlassen des Gebäudes sind die Fenster zu prüfen.
• Why: In formal, academic, or administrative German, nominalized constructions are preferred over full subordinate clauses. They are more concise and stylistically appropriate.

Usage Notes

Verbal nouns with complements are a hallmark of formal register in German. They appear frequently in academic writing, legal texts, official instructions, and quality journalism. In everyday spoken German, people generally prefer full clauses: "Während ich auf den Bus wartete" rather than "beim Warten auf den Bus." However, certain fixed expressions with verbal nouns are common even in casual speech, such as "beim Essen" (while eating), "zum Lesen" (for reading), and "nach dem Aufstehen" (after getting up).

The ability to use these constructions fluently is often what separates C1-level German from B2. They allow you to pack more information into shorter phrases, creating the dense, information-rich sentences typical of German academic and professional prose.

Practice Tips

1. Take five sentences with subordinate clauses (als ich..., bevor ich..., während ich...) and convert them into verbal noun phrases. Check that direct objects become genitive and prepositional complements are retained correctly.
2. Read a German newspaper article and highlight all verbal noun phrases. Analyze which ones retain complements and what transformations have occurred (accusative → genitive, prepositions kept, etc.).
3. Practice the most common patterns first: beim + Verbalnomen (during), vor dem + Verbalnomen (before), nach dem + Verbalnomen (after). These appear constantly in both formal and informal German.

Related Concepts

• Nominalization — the parent concept covering all types of nominalization in German