German nominal style at C1: from verbs to nouns and back
Redaktion · 8 October 2026 · 3 min read
In short
Nominal style (Nominalstil) means a preposition plus a noun replaces a subordinate clause: "weil die Preise steigen" becomes "wegen der steigenden Preise". From C1 you meet it in academic and newspaper texts and in note-taking, for example telc C1 listening part 3 ("stichwortartig"). In Goethe C2 rewriting is a task of its own: 10 passages in 20 minutes, often from noun back to verb.
Where the exam asks for nominal style
| Exam and part | What you do |
|---|---|
| telc Deutsch C1, listening part 3 | write missing information from a lecture in note form |
| telc Deutsch C1, speaking | notes during a presentation, "keywords, no continuous text" |
| Goethe-Zertifikat C2, writing part 1 | rewrite 10 marked passages of a short talk using a given word, 20 minutes |
| Reading from C1 | understand dense noun phrases quickly |
The example in the Goethe C2 model test goes the other way: with the given word "hilft", "ob durch guten Duft das Lernen gefördert wird" becomes "ob guter Duft beim Lernen hilft". If you master nominal style, you can also undo it.
The ten transformations you need
| Clause (verbal) | Preposition + noun (nominal) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| weil … | wegen + genitive / aufgrund + genitive | weil es stark regnete → wegen des starken Regens |
| obwohl … | trotz + genitive | obwohl er krank war → trotz seiner Krankheit |
| wenn … | bei + dative | wenn es Probleme gibt → bei Problemen |
| wenn … nicht | ohne + accusative | wenn man nicht übt → ohne Übung |
| nachdem … | nach + dative | nachdem sie angekommen war → nach ihrer Ankunft |
| bevor … | vor + dative | bevor die Prüfung beginnt → vor Beginn der Prüfung |
| während … | während + genitive | während er studierte → während seines Studiums |
| um … zu / damit … | zu + dative / für + accusative | um Kosten zu sparen → zur Senkung der Kosten |
| indem … | durch + accusative | indem man Daten auswertet → durch die Auswertung der Daten |
| dass … | noun + genitive | dass die Mieten steigen → der Anstieg der Mieten |
Step by step
- Find the verb and form the noun: steigen → der Anstieg, entscheiden → die Entscheidung.
- The subject becomes a genitive or possessive: "die Mieten steigen" → "der Anstieg der Mieten"; "er kommt an" → "seine Ankunft".
- The adverb becomes an adjective: "es regnete stark" → "der starke Regen".
- Pick the preposition from the connector (table above) and check the case.
The C1 exam layouts: Goethe C1 and telc C1 Hochschule. Related: verbs with prepositions.
Frequently asked questions
What is Nominalstil in German?
A style that expresses actions as nouns rather than verbs, usually with a preposition: "wegen des Regens" instead of "weil es regnet".
Is nominal style tested at C1?
Not as a task of its own, but in dense reading texts and in note-taking, such as telc C1 listening part 3. In Goethe C2 rewriting is a separate task with 10 passages.
Which preposition replaces weil?
"wegen" or "aufgrund", both with the genitive: "wegen des starken Regens".
How do I turn nominal style back into a clause?
The noun becomes a verb, the genitive becomes the subject, the preposition becomes a connector: "nach ihrer Ankunft" → "nachdem sie angekommen war".
Sources
- telc Deutsch C1, practice test 1 (PDF), checked 8 October 2026
- Goethe-Zertifikat C2: GDS, model test (PDF), checked 3 August 2026
