The ending en in German. Adjective endings

Adjectives in German bow if and only if they appear before a noun:

Krasn th table - rot er Tisch
red wow stolU - rot em Tisch

There are three types of adjective declension:

1. Strong declination.
2. Weak declination.
3. Mixed declension.

How can one understand which type of adjective is inclined in a particular case?

1. If an adjective comes before a noun without an accompanying word, then it is inflected according to the strong type.
2. If there is an accompanying word, but it ambiguously shows gender, number and case, then the adjective is declined according to the mixed type.
3. If there is an accompanying word and it clearly shows gender, number and case, then the adjective is declined according to the weak type.

Strong declination

IMPORTANT!
IN plural words: Viele (many), Einige (several), Wenige (few), Zweie, dreie usw (two, three, etc.) acquire a generic/case ending and do not affect the ending of the adjective ( both parts of speech receive an ending definite article ):

Viel e gut e Eltern (Nom.) - many good parents
Viel e gut e Eltern (Akk.) - many good parents
Wenig en gut en Eltern (Dat.) - to few good parents
Einig er gut er Eltern (Gen.) - some good parents

Weak declension of adjectives

IMPORTANT!

1. In the plural, after the words alle (all), sämtliche (meaning alle) and beide (both) in all cases, adjectives have a neutral ending<-en>, while alle and beide also receive a plural case ending (definite article ending).

Alle mein en Freunde (Nom.)
Alle dein en Freunde (Akk.)
All en dein en Freunde (Dat.)
All er sein en Freunden (Gen.)

2. Definite article, demonstrative pronoun and interrogative pronoun- parts of speech are mutually exclusive and are not used simultaneously with the same noun:

Der gute Vater - Diese gute Mutter (correct)
Der dieser gute Vater - Jede die gute Mutter ( Not Right)

3. Different parts of speech can act as an accompanying word, but all of them clearly show the gender and number of the noun already in Nominativ.

PLEASE NOTE!
In compound demonstrative pronouns (derselbe, derjenige...) the definite article is merged with the demonstrative word, which means both parts of the word are declined. In this case, the article part is declined as a definite article, and the adjective part as an adjective:

D er selb e gut e Film - the same good film
D ie selb en gut en Filme - the same good films

Mixed declension

IMPORTANT!
In the plural, the indefinite article EIN is not used.

Declension of homogeneous adjectives

Homogeneous adjectives standing in front of a noun are declined in the same way:

Ein klein es neu es Haus / Das klein e neu e Haus
Klein e neu e Hauser/Die klein en neu en Hauser

Declension of compound adjectives

When an adjective consists of several (it is a multi-root or compound word), the ending is placed only at the end of the word:

Mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlich es Thema - strong declension
das mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlich e Thema - weak declension
ein mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlich es Theme - mixed declension

Declension of adjectives before substantivized adjectives

If in a sentence the adjective name describes a substantivized adjective (Der Deutsche, Die Kranke, Die Verwandten), then the ending of the definition is selected according to general rule: either the adjective itself (definition) or the word accompanying it must determine the gender, number and case of the noun. Gender, number and case are shown once in a phrase. In this case, the substantivized adjective receives neutral endings<-е>or<-еn>:

Der Kranke - sick
Der arm e Krank e- poor patient
Ein e arm e Krank e- (some) poor patient
ein es arm en Krank en(Genitiv, “Whose?”) - one poor patient (m.r.)
ein er arm en Krank en(Genitiv, “Whose?”) - one poor patient (f.)

Exception! Singular Dativ. If the gender shows an adjective (that is, we have a strong declension), then the substantivized form will have a neutral ending:

Declining adjectives in German is very easy! To do this you need to know three tables and three steps. We will tell you about a method that will accurately help you form the correct ending of any adjective.

Video version of this article for those who like to watch and listen more than read

Step 1: Determine the table number to use

• If the article definite, then you need to look at the first table.

According to the rules of the first table, adjectives with dieser, jeder, jener, alle, manche, solche, welche, derselbe, beide.

• If the article uncertain, then you need to look at the second table.

According to the rules of the second table, adjectives with kein.

• If the article null (absent), then you need to look at the third table.

According to the rules of the third table, adjectives with andere, einige, etliche, folgende, mehrere, verschiedene, viele, wenige.

Step 2: Identify the table column by gender of the noun

Everything is simple here too:

If the noun is masculine, then you need to look in the first column, if it is neuter, then in the second, and so on. There is a separate column for the plural, don't forget!

Step 3: Determine table row by case

It’s a little more complicated here, because we need to determine the case in which the noun appears. Having determined the case, we can find the desired row in the table, and then the cell. Taking from the cell correct example, we inflect the noun and adjective in its likeness.

Let's see one example: Das Dreirad gehört (das, klein) Kind.- The tricycle belongs to a (small) child.

Step 1: Since the article is definite, we need the first table:

Step 2: We are looking for the required column. Because das Kind neuter, we need a second column.

Step 3: We look for the required line, determining the case. gehören + Dativ - to belong to someone, this German verb, like its Russian counterpart, requires the dative case after itself. This means we need a third line.

So, the cell has been found. Now let's decline by substituting the words into the sentence: Das Dreirad gehört dem kleinen Kind .

Ready! Really simple?

Another example: Wir haben (ein, spannend) Film gesehen.- We watched an (interesting) film.

Step 1: Since the article is indefinite, we need a second table:

Step 2: We are looking for the required column. Because der Film masculine, we need the first column.

Step 3: We look for the required line, determining the case. Wir haben (ein, spannend) Film gesehen. - We watched an interesting film. To determine case, we ask a question. Did you watch what? - movie. This is the accusative case, Akkusativ. So we need a second line.

Second line, first column - einen guten Mann. Transferring to our example, we get: Wir haben einen spannenden Film gesehen.

Ready! I think now you have learned how to decline adjectives and are ready to do exercises to consolidate the topic

Download exercises for declension of adjectives according to the first table with answers

Download exercises for declension of adjectives according to the second table with answers

Valeria Zakharova,

The endings (finals) of adjectives (adj.) in German, which are added during declension (cl.), depend on a number of points, namely,

• with which article (art.) is a German noun (noun) used in speech, accompanied by the adj. – with indefinite, with definite or with zero,
• in what number was used? given name noun,
• in which case is this noun used?
• what genus is the thing characterized by the adj. noun

Adjective endings in German I

Number	Singular
Genus	Feminine		Neutrum		Maskulinum
Article	undefined	def.	undefined	def.	undefined	def.
Translation	gray blouse	new trail	old track	left leg	wise old man	right foot
No.	eine graue Bluse	die neue Spur	ein altes Gleis	das link Bein	ein weiser Greis	der rechte Fuss
Gen.	einer grauen Bluse	der neuen Spur	eines alten Gleises	des Linken Beines	eines weisen Greises	des rechten Fusses
Dat.	einer grauen Bluse	der neuen Spur	einem alten Gleis	dem linken Bein	einem weisen Greis	dem rechten Fuss
Akk.	eine graue Bluse	die neue Spur	ein altes Gleis	das link Bein	einen weisen Greis	den rechten Fuss

Adjective endings in German II

	Singular			Plural
Art.	zero Femin.	null Neutr.	null Mask.	null	def.
No.	gray blue	altes Gleis	Weiser Greis	graue Blusenalte Gleise weise Greise	die neuen Spurendie linken Beine die rechten Fusse
Gen.	grauer Bluse	Alten Gleises	Weisen Greises	grauer Blusenalter Gleise Weiser Greise	der neuen Spurender linken Beine der rechten Fusse
Dat.	grauer Bluse	altem Gleis	Weisem Greis	grauen Blusenalten Gleisen weisen Greisen	den neuen Spurenden linken Beinen den rechten Fussen
Akk.	gray blue	altes Gleis	Weisen Greis	graue Blusenalte Gleise weise Greise	die neuen Spurendie linken Beine die rechten Fusse

Note to the table:

• gray background = weak sk.
• reddish background = strong darkening
• white background = mixed color

Weak declination

When using a noun with a certain art. The adjective that defines a given noun acquires the ending. according to the weak type. This type of storage characterized by the presence of only two endings – “-e” and “-en”. Finish “-e” is acquired only by adj. in Singular Nominativ (all three genders) and in Akkusativ (neuter and feminine) (see examples above in gray). Adj. will also purchase final by weak type, if a certain art. replace pronouns (places), which clearly convey the grammatical categories of the noun. To such places. include indicative places. this one is dieser, this one is solcher, that one is jener, each is jeder, some is mancher, that same one is derjenige, the same one is derselbe, interrogative place. which - welcher (plus all corresponding feminine and neuter places, as well as plurals from the named groups); pronouns both – beide, all – alle.

Strong declination

When using a noun with a zero art. (and also in the absence of any replacing this art. pronouns) relating to a noun adj. acquires final according to the strong type, that is, in all cases it takes the final form. definite articles (except neuter and masculine in Genitiv - see examples in the tables above on a reddish background). Adjectives are declined according to the same type if, when defining nouns, they occupy a place after cardinal numerals (for example, ten - neun, six - sechs, etc.) and places. many - viele, various, some - mehrere, some - wenige, all - sämtliche, etc.

Mixed declension

After unspecified art. (see examples in the table above on a white background), places. kein and possessive pronouns adj. They tend to be mixed, combining the characteristics of both the weak and the strong. Its peculiarity compared to the other two types of cl. described above. is that mixed cl. is present only in the singular. Plural adjectives following possessives. and after keine, acquire the same endings as after definite articles.

02/26/2014 WEDNESDAY 00:00

GRAMMAR

The declension of adjectives - Deklination der Adjektive - is determined not only by gender, number and case of the noun to which the adjective refers. It is also determined by the accompanying word - article, pronoun, numeral, etc. - comes before a noun. Depending on this, there are strong, weak and mixed declension of adjectives.

In this article we will look at each of these declensions.

Strong declension of adjectives

There is no accompanying word before the adjective or the accompanying word is not capable of giving grammatical characteristics to the noun - gender, number and case. In this case, the adjective takes on the functions of an article and takes on the endings of the definite article.

	Singular
	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine
	stark er Kaffee	schön es Wetter	frisch e Milch
	stark en Kaffees	schön en Wetters	frisch er Milch
	stark em Kaffee	schön em Wetter	frisch er Milch
	stark en Kaffee	schön es Wetter	frisch e Milch

	Plural
	schön e Fenster	einige gut e Freunde	vier neu e Autos
	schön er Fenster	einiger gut er Freunde	vier neu er Autos
	schön en Fenstern	einigen gut en Freunden	vier neu en Autos
	schön e Fenster	einige gut e Freunde	vier neu e Autos

Weak declension of adjectives

An adjective is preceded by an accompanying word - the definite article or the word that replaces it - and it clearly determines the gender, number and case of the noun.

	Singular
	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine
	der gut e Freund	das gut e Buch	die gut e Freundin
	des gut en Freundes	des gut en Buches	der gut en Freundin
	dem gut en Freund	dem gut en Buch	der gut en Freundin
	den gut en Freund	das gut e Buch	die gut e Freundin

	Plural
	die gut en Bucher	diese gut en Bucher	meine neu en Autos
	der gut en Bucher	diesel gut en Bucher	meiner neu en Autos
	den gut en Buchern	diesen gut en Buchern	meinen neu en Autos
	die gut en Bucher	diese gut en Bucher	meine neu en Autos

Mixed declension of adjectives

An adjective is preceded by an accompanying word in the form indefinite article ein - only in the singular, or possessive pronouns mein, dei n, etc. or the indefinite pronoun kein.

	Singular
	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine
	ein gut er Freund	ein gut es Buch	eine gut e Freundin
	eines gut en Freundes	eines gut en Buches	einer gut en Freundin
	einem gut en Freund	einem gut en Buch	einer gut en Freundin
	einen gut en Freund	ein gut es Buch	eine gut e Freundin

	Plural
	keine gut en Freunde	gut e Freunde	meine gut en Freunde
	keiner gut en Freunde	gut er Freunde	meiner gut en Freunde
	keinen gut en Freunden	gut en Freunden	meinen gut en Freunden
	keine gut en Freunde	gut e Freunde	meine gut en Freunde

Since the indefinite article is not used in the plural, adjectives, when inflected with a noun without an article, receive strong plural endings.

After possessive pronouns mein, dein, etc. and the indefinite - negative - pronoun kein, plural adjectives have weak declension forms.

Unlike a noun, where each noun belongs to one or another type of declension, an adjective as a definition can be declined only by strong or weak declination. The type of declension depends on the composition of the vocabulary in which the adjective occurs.

By weak declination adjectives are declined in the following vocabulary connectives:

1. In the singular after a definite article der, die, das or demonstrative pronoun dieser (dieses,diese).
In the plural after alle, beide, sämtliche, negative pronoun kein and possessive pronouns.

	Maskulinum	Feminine
Nom	der (dieser) gut e Freund	die (diese) rot e Ampel
Gen	des (dieses) gut en Freundes	der (dieser) rot en Ampel
Dat	dem (diesem) gut en Freund	der (dieser) rot en Ampel
Akk	den (diesen) gut en Freund	die (diese) rot e Ampel
	Neutrum	Im Plural
Nom	das (dieses) neu e Auto	alle (meine)neu en Autos
Gen	des (dieses) neu en Autos	aller (meiner) neu en Autos
Dat	dem (diesem) neu en Auto	Allen (meinen) neu en Autos
Akk	das (dieses) neu e Auto	alle (meine) neu en Autos

2. After the indefinite article ein, eine, negative pronoun kein and possessive pronouns(singular).

	Maskulinum	Feminine	Neutrum
Nom	ein (mein) gut er Freund	eine (Ihre) grün e Wiese	ein (main) neu es Auto
Gen	eines (meines) gut en Freundes	einer (Ihrer)grün en Wiese	eines (meines) neu en Autos
Dat	einem (meinem) gut en Freund	einer (Ihrer) grün en Wiese	einem (meinem) neu en Auto
Akk	einen (meinen) gut en Freund	eine (Ihre) grün e Wiese	ein (main) neu es Auto

3. In units h. without accompanying words.

In plural h. without accompanying words and after cardinal numbers.

	Maskulinum	Feminine
Nom	warm er Kaffee	warm e Milch
Gen	warm en Kaffees	warm er Milch
Dat	warm em Kaffee	warm er Milch
Akk	warm en Kaffee	warm e Milch
	Neutrum	Im Plural
Nom	kalt es Wasser	kühl e Tag / drei schwarz e Katzen
Gen	kalt en Wassers	kühl er Tag / drei schwarz er Katzen
Dat	kalt em Wasser	kühl en Tagen / drei schwarz en Katzen
Akk	kalt es Wasser	kühl e Tag / drei schwarz e Katzen

Table “Declination of adjectives in German”

Exercises on the topic “Declination of adjectives in German” / ÜBUNGEN

1. Read, determine the gender and case of the adjectives in bold. Translate these sentences.

2. Read the following text, inserting the appropriate endings of the adjectives.

Im Zug

Es ist ein schön__, warm__ Tag. Der Zug fährt nach Berlin. Auf einer klein__ Station setzt sich ein neu__ Fahrgast neben einen solid__ Herrn und fragt ihn:
— Fahren Sie auch nach Berlin?
—Nein.
— Dann fahren Sie nach Leipzig?
- Ja.
— Fahren Sie auf Urlaub?
—Nein.
— Dann ist das eine kurz__ Dienstreise?
- Ja.
— Was sind Sie von Beruf?
Da sagt der Nachbar ärgerlich:
- Mein Herr, ich bin Ingenieur. Ich bin 42 Jahre alt und bin ein Meter 78 groß. Schuhgröße 41. Mein Vater lebt nicht mehr, meine Mutter ist 68 Jahre alt. Ich bin verheiratet. Meine Frau ist Ärztin. Im nächsten Monat wird sie 40. Wir haben zwei schön__ Kinder: eine vierzehnjährig__ Tochter und einen zehnjährig__ Sohn. Wir haben ein groß__ Eigenheim mit einer groß__ Garage. Das Haus steht in einem klein__ Garten. Wir haben einen modern__ Wagen. Ich trinke heiß__ Tee mit Zucker gern. Wollen Sie noch etwas wissen?
Alle Fahrgäste lachen. Aber der neu__ Fahrgast fragt:
— Ich möchte gern noch wissen: wie heißen Sie?
— Ich habe einen kurz__ Namen: ich heiße Lang.