Understanding the German Adjective Declination

Adjective endings in German can be the most difficult to remember, so it’s important to learn them well. The grammar topics German adjectives, German cases and German articles are linked to each other so it is important to also know these topics.

This guide will help you identify and understand theadjective endings German. You’ll learn what they mean, how they change the meaning of the word, and why you should care about them at all! No matter your level of German knowledge - this guide is for everyone.

What are Adjectives?

An adjective is a word that explains or changes a noun. German adjectives can be categorized as strong, weak, or mixed.

The following are the three types of German adjectives:

Strong adjectives are called stark in German. These adjectives don't change their form when they are preceded by another word.

Weak adjectives are called schwach in German. These adjectives are not preceded by another word, but when they are they become the genitive form for that noun.

Mixed adjectives, which are called gemischte Adjektive in German, have both strong and weak forms based on context or placement in a sentence.

How to remember adjectives endings

Adjective endings German can be a confusing part of the German language. Adjectives are words that describe nouns, and when they have endings, it can make things even more difficult to remember if you don't know what the ending means.

The adjectives in German have four main endings: -e, -en, -er and -es. These endings can change adjectives from being a word that describes something in general to being a word that describes a specific person, place or thing.

The Adjective Declination

The adjective endings are changing depending on the case and on the gender. It also effects the ending if you use a definite article, an indefinite article, a possessive pronouns, zero article or no article at all.

In the following charts you can see how the German adjective endings are changing depending if you use a weak, strong or mixed adjective.

Examples:

• Der kleine Mann geht mit der großen Frau ins Kino. The little man goes to the cinema with the tall woman.
• Ein kleiner Mann geht mit einer klugen Frau ins Theater. A little man goes to the theater with a smart woman.
• Der kluge Mann sieht das Haus einer reichen Frau. The smart man sees the house of a rich woman.
• Das Haus des reichen Mannes gefällt den interessierten Studenten sehr. The interested students like the house of the rich man a lot.
  

German Adjective Endings Quiz

To master the adjective endings in German you need to practice a lot with Quizzes and exercises. You can find our newest quiz for the German adjective endings: here.