The German title of the picture is "Verwundeter Greif"; you left out the "r" at the end of the first word. German grammar requires that "r". However, if the title was "The Wounded Griffin", then it would be "Der verwundete Greif" in German, without the "r". And if the title was "A wounded Griffin" then it would be "Ein verwundeter Greif", with the "r" again.
When no article is used in the title then it is assumed that if one was used it would be the indefinite article; that's where the difference comes from. The philosophy behind leaving out the "r" when the male definite article "der" is used is that the "r" already appears at the end of the article.
It is similar with neutral nouns. If, for example, the picture showed a wounded child instead of a wounded griffin then the titles would either be "Das verwundete Kind", "Verwundetes Kind" or "Ein verwundetes Kind".
Mark that with female nouns this makes no difference. If, for example, the picture showed a wounded woman; it would be "Die verwundete Frau", "Verwundete Frau" or "Eine verwundete Frau" respectively. The reason is that the final "e" of the definite article already is at the end of the adjective, so it does not need to be added.
Yes, German grammar is complicated! Oh these flections!
The German title of the picture is "Verwundeter Greif"; you left out the "r" at the end of the first word. German grammar requires that "r". However, if the title was "The Wounded Griffin", then it would be "Der verwundete Greif" in German, without the "r". And if the title was "A wounded Griffin" then it would be "Ein verwundeter Greif", with the "r" again.
ReplyDeleteWhen no article is used in the title then it is assumed that if one was used it would be the indefinite article; that's where the difference comes from. The philosophy behind leaving out the "r" when the male definite article "der" is used is that the "r" already appears at the end of the article.
It is similar with neutral nouns. If, for example, the picture showed a wounded child instead of a wounded griffin then the titles would either be "Das verwundete Kind", "Verwundetes Kind" or "Ein verwundetes Kind".
Mark that with female nouns this makes no difference. If, for example, the picture showed a wounded woman; it would be "Die verwundete Frau", "Verwundete Frau" or "Eine verwundete Frau" respectively. The reason is that the final "e" of the definite article already is at the end of the adjective, so it does not need to be added.
Yes, German grammar is complicated! Oh these flections!