Learn the endings of attributive German adjectives after definite articles, after ein-words, and without an article. Practise the nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive in everyday sentences.
Explanation
When does an adjective take an ending?
An adjective **before a noun** is declined: **ein ruhiger Platz**, **die kalte Suppe**. After verbs such as *sein*, *werden*, or *bleiben*, it has no ending: **Der Platz ist ruhig.**
Together with the determiner, the ending signals **case, gender, and number**. The key question is how much grammatical information the determiner already shows.
1. After a definite article: weak endings
After **der/die/das**, **dieser**, **jeder**, and **alle**, the determiner clearly signals the case. The adjective almost always takes **-en**; only nominative singular in all three genders and accusative singular feminine/neuter take **-e**.
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der neu**e** Kurs | die neu**e** App | das neu**e** Buch | die neu**en** Bücher |
| Accusative | den neu**en** Kurs | die neu**e** App | das neu**e** Buch | die neu**en** Bücher |
| Dative | dem neu**en** Kurs | der neu**en** App | dem neu**en** Buch | den neu**en** Büchern |
| Genitive | des neu**en** Kurses | der neu**en** App | des neu**en** Buches | der neu**en** Bücher |
2. After ein-words: mixed endings
The **ein-words** include *ein, kein, mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser, euer*, and *Ihr* (capitalized formal “your”). When the determiner has no visible ending, the adjective supplies the signal: **ein gut-er Plan**, **ein ruhig-es Zimmer**. Elsewhere the adjective usually takes **-en**.
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural with kein-/possessive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ein neu**er** Kurs | eine neu**e** App | ein neu**es** Buch | keine neu**en** Bücher |
| Accusative | einen neu**en** Kurs | eine neu**e** App | ein neu**es** Buch | keine neu**en** Bücher |
| Dative | einem neu**en** Kurs | einer neu**en** App | einem neu**en** Buch | keinen neu**en** Büchern |
| Genitive | eines neu**en** Kurses | einer neu**en** App | eines neu**en** Buches | keiner neu**en** Bücher |
3. Without an article: strong endings
Without a determiner, the adjective usually carries the case signal itself.
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | frisch**er** Saft | warm**e** Milch | kalt**es** Wasser | reif**e** Birnen |
| Accusative | frisch**en** Saft | warm**e** Milch | kalt**es** Wasser | reif**e** Birnen |
| Dative | frisch**em** Saft | warm**er** Milch | kalt**em** Wasser | reif**en** Birnen |
| Genitive | frisch**en** Saftes | warm**er** Milch | kalt**en** Wassers | reif**er** Birnen |
In genitive singular masculine and neuter, the adjective takes **-en** because the noun marks the case with **-(e)s**.
How to choose the ending
1. Identify the case: subject, accusative object, dative object, or possession.
2. Identify the noun's gender and number.
3. Check the determiner: definite article, ein-word, or no article.
4. Choose the ending from the matching pattern.
**Memory aid:** The less the determiner shows, the more the adjective ending must show.
Additional signals and special cases
The signal principle as minimal pairs
The determiner and adjective share the grammatical information. If the determiner carries a clear signal, the adjective is usually weak; if that signal is absent, the adjective supplies it.
- **der schnell**e** Zug** – but **ein schnell**er** Zug**: *der* already shows masculine nominative; *ein* does not.
- **das modern**e** Büro** – but **ein modern**es** Büro**: the missing neuter signal appears on the adjective.
- **die neu**en** Geräte** – but **neu**e** Geräte**: plural takes **-en** with an article and **-e** without one.
- **mit den freundlich**en** Nachbarn** – but **mit freundlich**en** Nachbarn**: both patterns take **-en** in dative plural; the noun normally also adds **-n**.
- **wegen des stark**en** Regens** – **wegen stark**en** Regens**: in genitive masculine/neuter without an article, the adjective still takes **-en**; noun **-(e)s** carries the genitive signal.
Several adjectives
Coordinated adjectives before the same noun take the same ending: **Wir suchen ein hell**es**, ruhig**es** Zimmer.** The same applies without an article: **Frisch**er**, aromatisch**er** Kaffee duftet im Flur.**
Nominalized adjectives
When the noun is omitted, capitalize the adjective; its ending still depends on determiner, case, gender, and number: **Der neu**e** Drucker ist schneller als der alt**e**.** In the plural: **Die Neu**en** arbeiten mit den Erfahren**en** zusammen.**
Forms without a normal declension ending
- Before uncountable nouns, **viel** and **wenig** often remain unchanged: **Wir haben viel Zeit, aber wenig Geld.** With countable plurals they are declined: **Viele Gäste stellten wenige Fragen.**
- **mehr** remains unchanged: **Heute kommen mehr Besucher als gestern.**
- With many adjectives ending in **-el**, unstressed *e* is dropped before the ending: **ein komfortables Sofa**, not *komfortabeles Sofa*.
- To the right of the noun or after *sein/werden/bleiben*, no ending is used: **Der lange Weg ist anstrengend.**