B2-53 · Write and read headlines in nominal style
Journalism
Turn verbs into nouns, put the object in the genitive and drop articles to read and write German news headlines.
About 5 minutes to read · 12 quiz questions
01
Headlines without a full sentence
German headlines save space by turning verbs into nouns and often leaving out articles and the conjugated verb. Schließen becomes die Schließung, steigen becomes der Anstieg. The object of the verb, or the subject of a verb without an object, follows the noun in the genitive: Schließung des Hallenbads, Anstieg der Mieten.
| Meaning | Verb | Headline noun |
|---|---|---|
| to close | schließen | die Schließung |
| to rise | steigen | der Anstieg |
| to investigate | ermitteln | die Ermittlungen |
| to criticise | kritisieren | die Kritik |
| to step down | zurücktreten | der Rücktritt |
Schließung des Hallenbads in Neustadt
Closure of the swimming pool in Neustadt
Anstieg der Mieten im Stadtzentrum
Rise in rents in the city centre
Ermittlungen gegen Baufirma aufgenommen
Investigation into construction firm opened
Kritik an neuer Parkgebühr wächst
Criticism of new parking fee grows
A headline may also end in a bare participle, a shortened passive: Ermittlungen aufgenommen means investigations have been opened. Kritik takes an + dative. The town and all events here are invented.
02
From sentence to headline
To build a nominal headline, take the verb as a noun, put its object (or, for a verb without an object, its subject) in the genitive and drop the article where possible. The person or group that acts can follow with durch. Without an article, an adjective in the genitive plural ends in -er: interner Dokumente.
Die Zeitung veröffentlicht interne Dokumente.
The newspaper publishes internal documents.
Veröffentlichung interner Dokumente durch Lokalzeitung
Publication of internal documents by local newspaper
Die Chefredakteurin tritt nach der Recherche zurück.
The editor-in-chief steps down after the investigation.
Rücktritt der Chefredakteurin nach Recherche
Editor-in-chief resigns after investigation
Die Zeitung veröffentlicht Dokumente becomes Veröffentlichung der Dokumente durch die Zeitung. Die Chefredakteurin means editor-in-chief and die Lokalzeitung local newspaper.
03
The lead of an investigative report
The first sentences of a news report keep some of the dense headline style. Nominal phrases such as nach monatelanger Recherche or eine Überprüfung der Verträge pack a lot of information into few words, while the verb carries the main action.
Nach monatelanger Recherche deckte die Redaktion Mängel beim Brandschutz auf.
After months of research, the editorial team uncovered fire-safety failings.
Laut internen Unterlagen wurden Warnungen ignoriert.
According to internal documents, warnings were ignored.
Die Stadt kündigte eine Überprüfung der Verträge an.
The town announced a review of the contracts.
Wegen der Berichterstattung fordern Leser mehr Transparenz.
Because of the coverage, readers are calling for more transparency.
Die Recherche means research or investigation, aufdecken uncover, die Unterlagen documents and die Berichterstattung coverage. Without an article, the adjective takes the ending of the missing article: nach monatelanger Recherche.
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