Adjectives (Leaving Cert German): Revision Notes
Adjectives
Overview
German adjectives describe nouns and can appear in different positions within a sentence. Unlike English, German adjectives change their endings depending on the gender, case, and number of the noun they describe, as well as what comes before them. Adjectives can also be used to make comparisons between different things, people, or ideas.
German adjective endings are one of the most challenging aspects of German grammar for beginners. The key is understanding that the ending depends on three main factors: position, what comes before the adjective, and the noun's grammatical properties.
Position of adjectives
German adjectives can appear in two main positions, and this affects whether they need special endings or not.
Attributive adjectives
Attributive adjectives come directly before the noun they describe, usually after an article. These adjectives must take special endings that match the noun's gender, case, and number.
Examples of Attributive Adjectives:
- Es war einmal ein reicher Mann. (Once upon a time, there was a rich man.)
- Seine Frau rief ihre einzige Tochter zu sich ans Bett. (His wife called her only daughter to her bed.)
- Das kleine Aschenputtel wollte nur einen Zweig. (The little Cinderella wanted only a twig.)
Notice how each adjective (reicher, einzige, kleine) has a special ending that matches the noun it describes.
Predicate adjectives
Predicate adjectives appear after the noun, separated by verbs such as sein (to be), werden (to become), or heißen (to be called). These adjectives never change their form - they stay the same regardless of gender, case, or number.
Examples of Predicate Adjectives:
- Die Frau war leider sehr krank. (Unfortunately, the woman was very sick.)
- Sie sagte ihrer Tochter: Liebes Kind, sei fromm und gut! (She said to her daughter: Dear child, be pious and good!)
Notice how krank, fromm, and gut have no special endings - they remain in their basic dictionary form.
Comparisons
German adjectives can be modified to show different degrees of comparison, just like in English.
Comparative and superlative forms
To compare two or more things, German uses comparative and superlative forms. The comparative often ends in -er, whilst the superlative typically uses "der/die/das + adjective + -ste".
Comparison Examples:
- Aschenputtels Leben wurde viel schlimmer, als sein Vater die andere Frau heiratete. (Cinderella's life became much worse when her father married the other woman.)
- Das arme Mädchen wurde jeden Tag immer trauriger. (The poor girl became sadder and sadder every day.)
- Als der Vater von seiner Reise zurückkam, brachte er den Stiefschwestern die schönsten Kleider, Perlen und Edelsteine mit. (When the father returned from his trip, he brought the stepsisters the most beautiful clothes, pearls, and gems.)
Adjective endings
The most challenging aspect of German adjectives is learning when and how to add the correct endings. The ending depends on three factors: what comes before the adjective, the gender of the noun, and the case being used.
Key Rule: The type of ending an adjective takes depends entirely on what precedes it:
- After definite articles (der, die, das) → weak endings
- After indefinite articles (ein, eine) → strong endings
- With no article at all → strong endings
After definite articles or der-words (weak endings)
When an adjective comes after definite articles (der, die, das) or der-words, it takes weak endings. These are simpler because the article already shows the grammatical information.
Weak Ending Examples:
- Das kleine Aschenputtel wollte nur einen Zweig von einem Haselbusch. (The little Cinderella wanted only a twig from a hazel bush.)
- Der schöne Baum ist der einzige Trost für das arme Mädchen. (The beautiful tree is the only consolation for the poor little girl.)
The definite articles (das, der) carry the grammatical information, so the adjectives take simple weak endings.
After indefinite articles or ein-words (strong endings)
When adjectives follow indefinite articles (ein, eine) or ein-words (mein, dein, sein), they take strong endings because the article provides less grammatical information.
Strong Ending Examples:
- Ein weißes Vöglein kam jeden Tag zum Baum. (A white bird came to the tree every day.)
- Im Reich gab es einen alten König. (In the realm there was an old king.)
- Er arrangierte ein großes Fest für seinen Sohn. (He arranged a large feast for his son.)
The indefinite articles provide less information, so the adjectives must carry more grammatical weight with strong endings.
Unpreceded adjectives (strong endings)
When adjectives have no article or determiner before them, they take strong endings to provide all the necessary grammatical information themselves.
Unpreceded Adjective Examples:
- Viele schöne, junge Frauen im Lande wurden eingeladen. (Many beautiful, young women in the kingdom were invited.)
- Aschenputtel durfte nicht auf das Fest gehen; sie hatte nur schmutzige und staubige Kleider. (Cinderella was not allowed to go to the feast; she only had dirty and dusty clothes.)
- Aber zwei weiße Täubchen kamen zu Aschenputtel und brachten ihr goldene und silberne Kleider. (But two white turtle doves came to Cinderella and brought her golden and silver clothes.)
With no articles, the adjectives must show all grammatical information through their endings.
No declension adjectives
Certain adjectives, particularly colour words and foreign loan words, do not take any endings regardless of their position. These remain unchanged in all situations.
Indeclinable Adjectives Include:
- Colours: beige, rosa, lila, orange
- Foreign words: happy, prima, super
These adjectives stay the same whether they're attributive or predicate, making them easier to use but important to memorise.
Essential adjective vocabulary
Building a strong vocabulary of common adjectives is essential for effective German communication.
Colours and appearance
- blau (blue) - also means drunk
- rot (red)
- grün (green)
- schwarz (black)
- weiß (white)
- braun (brown)
- gelb (yellow)
- grau (grey)
Size and physical qualities
- groß (big)
- klein (small)
- lang (long)
- kurz (short)
- breit (wide)
- dünn (thin)
- dick (thick/fat)
Personality and character
- freundlich (friendly)
- nett (nice)
- höflich (polite)
- klug (smart)
- dumm (stupid/dumb)
- witzig (funny)
- ernst (serious)
Emotions and feelings
- glücklich (happy)
- traurig (sad)
- wütend (angry)
- nervös (nervous)
- ruhig (calm/quiet)
Quality and condition
- gut (good)
- schlecht (bad)
- neu (new)
- alt (old)
- sauber (clean)
- schmutzig (dirty)
- teuer (expensive)
- billig (cheap)
Common mistakes and tips
Learning to avoid these frequent errors will significantly improve your German adjective usage.
Mistake 1: Forgetting adjective endings
Many students forget that attributive adjectives must have endings. Remember: if the adjective comes directly before the noun, it needs an ending.
Mistake 2: Adding endings to predicate adjectives
Conversely, don't add endings to adjectives that come after verbs like sein, werden, or heißen. These stay in their basic form.
Mistake 3: Using the wrong ending type
Pay attention to what comes before the adjective. Definite articles lead to weak endings, whilst indefinite articles or no articles lead to strong endings.
Learning Tip: Start with common patterns
Focus first on the most frequent combinations you'll encounter, such as "ein/eine + adjective + noun" and "der/die/das + adjective + noun".
Key Points to Remember:
- Adjectives before nouns (attributive) need special endings, whilst adjectives after verbs (predicate) stay unchanged
- The type of ending depends on what comes before the adjective - definite articles, indefinite articles, or nothing at all
- Comparative forms often add -er, whilst superlative forms typically use "der/die/das + adjective + -ste"
- Some adjectives like colours (rosa, lila) and foreign words (super, prima) never change their form
- Learning adjective vocabulary is essential for describing people, places, and things in German conversation