Adjective endings (Edexcel GCSE German): Revision Notes
Adjective endings
German adjectives change their endings depending on the case, gender and whether they follow a definite article (der/die/das), indefinite article (ein/eine/ein), or no article at all. Understanding these patterns is essential for GCSE German.
Adjectives after der/die/das
When adjectives follow der/die/das or similar determiners, they use a specific pattern of endings. This system also applies to dieser (this), jener (that), jeder (each/every), welcher (which), solcher (such) and mancher (many a).
The der/die/das system is the most predictable of all three adjective ending systems, making it a great starting point for understanding German adjective declension.
Endings table for der/die/das system
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der alte Mann | die alte Frau | das alte Haus | die alten Häuser |
| Accusative | den alten Mann | die alte Frau | das alte Haus | die alten Häuser |
| Dative | dem alten Mann | der alten Frau | dem alten Haus | den alten Häusern |
| Genitive | des alten Mannes | der alten Frau | des alten Hauses | der alten Häuser |
Key pattern to remember
Most adjective endings in this system are -en. The only exceptions are:
- Masculine and neuter nominative: -e
- Feminine nominative and accusative: -e
This makes the der/die/das system the easiest to remember - when in doubt, use -en!
Worked Example: Using der/die/das adjectives
- Der kleine Hund spielt im Garten. (The small dog plays in the garden.)
- Ich sehe den großen Mann dort. (I see the tall man there.)
Notice how "kleine" uses -e ending (masculine nominative) while "großen" uses -en ending (masculine accusative).
Adjectives after ein/eine/ein
This system applies when adjectives follow ein/eine/ein (a/an), kein/keine/kein (no/not a), or any possessive adjectives (mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser, euer, Ihr).
The key difference with this system is that the indefinite article doesn't show the gender as clearly as der/die/das does, so the adjective endings need to help indicate the gender of the noun.
Endings table for ein/eine/ein system
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ein alter Mann | eine alte Frau | ein altes Haus | keine alten Häuser |
| Accusative | einen alten Mann | eine alte Frau | ein altes Haus | keine alten Häuser |
| Dative | einem alten Mann | einer alten Frau | einem alten Haus | keinen alten Häusern |
| Genitive | eines alten Mannes | einer alten Frau | eines alten Hauses | keiner alten Häuser |
Understanding the pattern
The endings are mostly -en, but some endings help show the gender of the noun:
- Masculine nominative: -er (reminds you of der)
- Feminine nominative/accusative: -e (reminds you of die)
- Neuter nominative/accusative: -es (reminds you of das)
Think of these special endings as "helping" the article show the gender!
Worked Example: Using ein/eine/ein adjectives
- Ein kleiner Hund läuft schnell. (A small dog runs quickly.)
- Meine beste Freundin kommt heute. (My best friend is coming today.)
Notice how "kleiner" uses -er ending to help show masculine gender, while "beste" uses -e ending with the feminine noun.
Adjectives with no article
When there is no article before the adjective, the endings are similar to the der/die/das case system endings themselves. This is because the adjective must now do all the work of showing both gender and case.
Key insight: When there's no article, the adjective ending looks almost exactly like what the der/die/das ending would be. The adjective has to "take over" the job of showing gender and case.
Endings table for no article system
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | schwarzer Kaffee | kalte Milch | gutes Wetter | nette Leute |
| Accusative | schwarzen Kaffee | kalte Milch | gutes Wetter | nette Leute |
| Dative | schwarzem Kaffee | kalter Milch | gutem Wetter | netten Leuten |
| Genitive | schwarzen Kaffees | kalter Milch | guten Wetters | netter Leute |
When to use no article endings
Use these endings:
- After viele (many) and einige (some)
- After numbers
- When there is simply no article present
Worked Example: No article adjectives
- Kalte Milch schmeckt gut. (Cold milk tastes good.)
- Viele deutsche Touristen fahren nach Spanien. (Many German tourists travel to Spain.)
Notice how "kalte" takes the -e ending (like "die" would) and "deutsche" follows the no-article pattern after "viele".
Important notes for exam success
Compound adjectives
Compound adjectives (like dunkelblau or unglücklich) follow exactly the same rules as simple adjectives. Don't let the length confuse you!
Making nouns from adjectives
You can turn adjectives into nouns by giving them a capital letter. These nouns still need adjective endings according to their case:
- der Alte = the old man
- die Alte = the old woman
This is a common feature in German - many adjectives can become nouns while keeping their adjective endings. Just remember to capitalise them!
Genitive case
The genitive case only appears at Higher tier, so don't worry about it if you're taking Foundation tier.
Practice exercise
Practice Exercise: Add the correct endings
Add the correct ending to each adjective:
- Der alt___ Mann wohnt in dieser klein___ Stadt.
- Mein best___ Freund hat einen älter___ Bruder.
- Ich habe heute unglücklich___ Menschen in den Nachrichten gesehen.
- Ich möchte bitte schwarz___ Tee.
- Wir waren mit nett___ Leuten zusammen.
Answers:
- alte, kleinen (der + adj + Mann = alte; dieser + adj + Stadt = kleinen)
- bester, älteren (mein + adj + Freund = bester; einen + adj + Bruder = älteren)
- unglückliche (no article + acc plural = unglückliche)
- schwarzen (no article + acc masc = schwarzen)
- netten (mit + dative + adj = netten)
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Most adjective endings are -en in the der/die/das and ein/eine/ein systems
- No article endings look like the der/die/das case endings
- Compound adjectives follow the same rules as simple ones
- Use no article endings after viele, einige and numbers
- Practice identifying the case, gender and article type first, then choose the correct ending
Quick decision process:
- Identify the article type (der/die/das, ein/eine/ein, or no article)
- Determine the case and gender
- Apply the appropriate ending pattern