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Everybody knows that German adjective endings are incredibly confusing and difficult to learn. Or are they? In this post, we will go over the different types of adjective declension and try to make sense of it all. And while it may all seem a bit intimidating at first, it isn\u2019t all that bad. You just need to take it step by step. Once you understand what\u2019s going on, there\u2019s only a little bit of memorization that you\u2019ll have to do. After that, you\u2019ll be set for good.<\/p>\n
Trust me: there is no reason to fear German adjective endings. I promise you\u2019ll be able to master them in no time.<\/p>\n
Like I said, German adjective endings aren\u2019t all that bad. Once you know what\u2019s going on, it\u2019s really all about remembering three simple tables. We\u2019ll get to those in a minute.<\/p>\n
But first, there are a couple of things you need to know. These are some of the basics that will make your life a lot easier.<\/p>\n
Adjectives, or Adjektive<\/em>, are words that we use when we want to describe a noun<\/strong>. A couple of examples are words such as black <\/em>(schwarz<\/em>), small <\/em>(klein<\/em>), or fast <\/em>(schnell<\/em>).<\/p>\n Adjectives can also be used to describe a pronoun. You can say either:<\/p>\n Big <\/em>is the adjective here, and it describes both the noun in example 1 (the house<\/em>) and the pronoun in example 2 (it<\/em>).<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever tried reading any German text, you\u2019ve probably come across different forms of adjectives. You know that cold <\/em>is kalt <\/em>in German, but you might\u2019ve seen other forms of kalt <\/em>floating around. Sometimes, it will say kalte <\/em>instead of kalt<\/em>. Sometimes it will even be something like kaltem<\/em>.<\/p>\n These extra syllables at the end of words (-e, -en, -em<\/em>, and more) are what we call adjective endings. You may now be wondering if they are always necessary and what they are for. Well, let me explain!<\/p>\n Adjectives have the same function in English as they do in German. They describe things, places, or people. In both languages, there are two ways adjectives do this \u2013 and it all comes down to where they are placed in a sentence.<\/p>\n One option is predicative adjectives<\/strong>. These are adjectives that come after the noun (and even after the verb) in a sentence. For example:<\/p>\n The other type of adjectives is attributive adjectives<\/strong>. They come before the noun. For example:<\/p>\n When learning German adjective endings, you need to remember that only attributive adjectives<\/strong> take endings. That\u2019s because they are positioned in front of the noun \u2013 and what these adjective endings do is indicate the gender (der\/die\/das<\/em>), number (plural\/singular<\/em>), and case (Nominative\/Genitive\/Dative\/Accusative<\/em>) of the noun they precede.<\/p>\n Remember: Predicative adjectives <\/strong>(adjectives that come after the verb) do not take endings. Only attributive adjectives <\/strong>that come before the noun do.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve mentioned already that to master German adjective endings, you will need to memorize three simple tables. That\u2019s because there are three types of declension. Don\u2019t worry; these types aren\u2019t difficult to tell apart. It\u2019s really all about the articles.<\/p>\n The three types are as follows:<\/p>\n So, to sum up: to know which adjective endings to use, you need to look at the article that precedes it (if there is one). Let\u2019s now talk in more detail about each type and see how they differ from each other.<\/p>\n This type of declension is typically used after the definite article. It\u2019s also the simplest one \u2013 there are only two endings: -e<\/em> and –en<\/em>.<\/p>\n To see what I mean, take a look at this table:<\/p>\n Masculine<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Feminine<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Neuter<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Plural<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 1. Nominative<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n der gute<\/b><\/span> Hund<\/p>\n<\/td>\n die gute<\/b><\/span> Katze<\/p>\n<\/td>\n das gute<\/b><\/span> Kind<\/p>\n<\/td>\n die guten<\/b><\/span> Kinder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 2. Genitive<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n des guten<\/b><\/span> Hundes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n der guten<\/b><\/span> Katze<\/p>\n<\/td>\n des guten<\/b><\/span> Kindes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n der guten<\/b><\/span> Kinder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 3. Dative<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n dem guten<\/b><\/span> Hund<\/p>\n<\/td>\n der guten<\/b><\/span> Katze<\/p>\n<\/td>\n dem guten<\/b><\/span> Kind<\/p>\n<\/td>\n den guten<\/b><\/span> Kindern<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 4. Accusative<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n den guten<\/b><\/span> Hund<\/p>\n<\/td>\n die gute<\/b><\/span> Katze<\/p>\n<\/td>\n das gute<\/b><\/span> Kind<\/p>\n<\/td>\n die guten<\/b><\/span> Kinder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n The bad news is you\u2019ll have to memorize all this. There is no way around that. If you want to be able to use the correct German adjective endings, you\u2019ll need to be able to recall this table (and all the ones to follow).<\/p>\n The good news is that this one really isn\u2019t all that difficult. Just remember which forms only take -e<\/em>, and the rest is easy!<\/p>\n Example sentences:<\/strong><\/p>\n This is when it gets a bit more difficult \u2013 at least at first glance. While the weak declension table only features two types of German adjective endings (-e <\/em>and -en<\/em>), this one has plenty more. But don\u2019t worry! All of these actually make a lot of sense.<\/p>\n In the case of weak declension, attributes such as gender, case, and number are mostly clear just from looking at the article. In strong declension, this is not the case. There are no articles here \u2013 but we still need to be able to tell what the gender, case, and number of the words are. And we can do this through the different adjective endings.<\/p>\n For example, take a look at der gute Hund<\/em>. You can see that the article is der<\/em>, and that the adjective ending is -e<\/em>. This means that we\u2019re looking at a singular masculine noun in the nominative. But what if you take away the der<\/em>? How will you be able to tell what sort of a noun this is?<\/p>\n Well, it\u2019s simple. Instead of gute<\/em>, you will have to say guter<\/em>. See how in this case, the adjective ending copies the article (der <\/em>\u2192 guter<\/em>)? This is what most of the adjective endings do in the case of strong declension.<\/p>\n There are, of course, a couple of exceptions to this rule \u2013 namely, in the singular genitive case (masculine and neuter). These are highlighted in green in the following table.<\/p>\n Masculine<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Feminine<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Neuter<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Plural<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 1. Nominative<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n gut<\/span>er<\/b><\/span><\/span> Hund<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n gut<\/span>e<\/b><\/span><\/span> Katze<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n gutes<\/b><\/span> Kind<\/p>\n<\/td>\n gute<\/b><\/span> Kinder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 2. Genitive<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n gut<\/span>en<\/b><\/span><\/span> Hund<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n gut<\/span>er<\/b><\/span><\/span> Katze<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n guten<\/b><\/span> Kindes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n guter<\/b><\/span> Kinder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 3. Dative<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n gut<\/span>em<\/b><\/span><\/span> Hund<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n gut<\/span>er<\/b><\/span><\/span> Katze<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n gutem<\/b><\/span> Kind<\/p>\n<\/td>\n guten<\/b><\/span> Kindern<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 4. Accusative<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n gut<\/span>en<\/b><\/span><\/span> Hund<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n gut<\/span>e<\/b><\/span><\/span> Katze<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n gutes<\/b><\/span> Kind<\/p>\n<\/td>\n gute<\/b><\/span> Kinder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Example sentences:<\/strong><\/p>\n Last but not least, we have mixed declension. This is, as you should know by now, used after the indefinite article. It is also used after the possessives <\/strong>(mein, dein, sein, etc.)<\/p>\n We call this declension mixed because it falls somewhere in between the previous two. German adjectives that follow the indefinite articles take weak endings \u2013 except in the singular nominative masculine and neuter, and the singular accusative neuter. Because the articles in those cases don\u2019t have their own endings (i.e. ein<\/em> doesn\u2019t have an ending), we use strong declension in those cases.<\/p>\n Again, take a look at this table to see what we mean by that. Endings that follow the weak declension pattern are in orange \u2013 strong declension endings are in green.<\/p>\n Masculine<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Feminine<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Neuter<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Plural<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 1. Nominative<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n ein gut<\/span>er<\/b><\/span><\/span> Hund<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n eine gut<\/span>e<\/b><\/span><\/span> Katze<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n ein gutes<\/b><\/span> Kind<\/p>\n<\/td>\n meine guten<\/b><\/span> Kinder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 2. Genitive<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n eines gut<\/span>en<\/b><\/span><\/span> Hundes<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n einer gut<\/span>en<\/b><\/span><\/span> Katze<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n eines guten<\/b><\/span> Kindes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n meiner guten<\/b><\/span> Kinder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 3. Dative<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n einem gut<\/span>en<\/b><\/span><\/span> Hund<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n einer gut<\/span>en<\/b><\/span><\/span> Katze<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n einem guten<\/b><\/span> Kind<\/p>\n<\/td>\n meinen guten<\/b><\/span> Kindern<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 4. Accusative<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n einen gut<\/span>en<\/b><\/span><\/span> Hund<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n eine gut<\/span>e<\/b><\/span><\/span> Katze<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n ein gutes<\/b><\/span> Kind<\/p>\n<\/td>\n meine guten<\/b><\/span> Kinder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Example sentences:<\/strong><\/p>\n You\u2019re almost there! To understand German adjective endings, you need to learn those three tables. But there is one other small thing you need to remember \u2013 and that is what to do if the adjective is preceded by a word that isn\u2019t an article. You know, words like viele<\/em>, diese<\/em>, or mehrere<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n To make it as simple as possible for you, I\u2019ve compiled these commonly used words and sorted them out for you.<\/p>\n You use:<\/p>\n That\u2019s it! That\u2019s all you need to know about German adjective endings.<\/p>\n I know it\u2019s a lot but trust me \u2013 once you get the hang of it, it actually becomes quite fun and easy. If you\u2019re still feeling a bit lost, you can also watch this 15-minute video by YourGermanTeacher. In it, he goes over all the rules again in a very helpful and succinct way.<\/p>\n\n
What are adjective endings?<\/h3>\n
Not all adjectives need endings<\/h3>\n
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Three types of declension<\/h3>\n
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Weak declension: German adjective endings after the definite article<\/h2>\n
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Strong declension: German adjective endings with no article<\/h2>\n
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Mixed declension: German adjective endings after the indefinite article<\/h2>\n
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What about viele<\/em>, diese<\/em>, or mehrere<\/em>?<\/h2>\n
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