Adjectives with -haft

Last week, we looked at the noun die Haft as well as the verbs haften and verhaften. But -haft is also an adjective ending that can be attached to a noun to indicate that something possesses, displays, or is characterized by a particular quality

Some of the English equivalents end with "-ful." In the first example below, the noun is der Schmerz, and therefore schmerzhaft means "having," "being marked by," or "full of" pain, i.e. painful.

Trotzdem bleibt am Ende das ein oder andere schmerzhafte Andenken.

Nevertheless, some painful souvenirs remain at the end.

Caption 122, Galileo: Die erste Stehwasserrutsche der Welt
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The following adjectives are used to describe having an advantage (der Vorteil), causing disgust (der Ekel), possessing the quality of a mystery (das Rätsel), and possessing the quality of a legend (die Sage).

Für Fische, die ihre Nahrung in kleinen Portionen und über weite Entfernungen zu sich nehmen, ist es vorteilhaft, alleine unterwegs zu sein,

For fish that consume their diet in small portions and over long distances, it is advantageous to travel alone

Captions 22-23, Evolution: Meeresbewohner
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Die sind ja ekelhaft.

They're truly despicable.

Caption 5, Es war einmal... der Mensch: Der Neandertaler
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Rätselhaft bleibt, wieso er es unter einer anderen Leinwand verbarg.

It remains puzzling why he hid it under another canvas.

Caption 19, Munch-Ausstellung: Rätsel hinter der Leinwand
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Ich find es toll. Also, ich finde hier den Ausblick sagenhaft.

I think it's great. Well, I find the view here fabulous.

Caption 25, Berlin: Hauptstadt des vereinten Deutschland
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Because adjectives also function as adverbs, some of these words with -haft will be used more commonly as adverbs.

Das heißt, dass diese Fläche dauerhaft gesichert wird.

This means that this area will be permanently secured.

Caption 24, WWF Deutschland: Urwald in Deutschland?
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