Adjectives in German

This section introduces adjectives in German and includes tips for students studying foundation and higher tiers. Adjectives are words that describe nouns. In German, adjectives change their endings depending on the gender, case, and whether the noun is definite or indefinite. Understanding how adjectives work in German is essential for accurate and fluent communication.

Adjective Endings

In German, adjectives can change their endings based on the gender, case, and number of the noun they are describing. There are three main ways to decline adjectives: after a definite article, after an indefinite article, and when there is no article.

After a Definite Article (der, die, das)

When an adjective follows a definite article (der, die, das), the adjective takes a specific ending, depending on the gender, case, and number of the noun.

• Masculine: der alte Mann (the old man)
• Feminine: die alte Frau (the old woman)
• Neuter: das alte Kind (the old child)
• Plural: die alten Leute (the old people)

Translation:

• der alte Mann = the old man
• die alte Frau = the old woman
• das alte Kind = the old child
• die alten Leute = the old people

After an Indefinite Article (ein, eine)

After an indefinite article (ein, eine), adjectives have different endings. For masculine and neuter nouns, the endings change slightly compared to definite articles.

• Masculine: ein alter Mann (an old man)
• Feminine: eine alte Frau (an old woman)
• Neuter: ein altes Kind (an old child)
• Plural: (no plural indefinite article)

Translation:

• ein alter Mann = an old man
• eine alte Frau = an old woman
• ein altes Kind = an old child

Without an Article (no article)

When there is no article, the adjective takes a different ending, typically a stronger declension.

• Masculine: Alter Mann (old man)
• Feminine: alte Frau (old woman)
• Neuter: altes Kind (old child)
• Plural: alte Leute (old people)

Translation:

• Alter Mann = old man
• alte Frau = old woman
• altes Kind = old child
• alte Leute = old people

Adjective Declension Chart

Translation:

• Nominative: subject of the sentence
  • der alte Mann = the old man
• Accusative: direct object
  • den alten Mann = the old man (object)
• Dative: indirect object
  • dem alten Mann = to the old man
• Genitive: possession
  • des alten Mannes = of the old man

Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives

In German, adjectives can also be used in the comparative and superlative forms to express comparisons.

a) Comparative (er)

To form the comparative, add -er to the adjective. For example:

• schnell (fast) → schneller (faster)
• gut (good) → besser (better)
• hoch (high) → höher (higher)

Translation:

• schneller = faster
• besser = better
• höher = higher

Superlative (am -sten / -esten)

To form the superlative, use am followed by -sten (for most adjectives) or -esten (for adjectives with vowels or consonants causing irregular endings). Sometimes, you also need to add an -e before am.

• schnell → am schnellsten (the fastest)
• gut → am besten (the best)
• hoch → am höchsten (the highest)

Translation:

• am schnellsten = the fastest
• am besten = the best
• am höchsten = the highest

Irregular Adjectives

Some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms. Here are a few examples:

• gut → besser → am besten (good → better → the best)
• viel (many) → mehr → am meisten (more → most)
• hoch → höher → am höchsten (high → higher → the highest)

Translation:

• besser = better
• am besten = the best
• mehr = more
• am meisten = the most
• höher = higher
• am höchsten = the highest

Adjectives with Specific Meanings in German

Some adjectives are used in specific phrases, especially with certain verbs or nouns. These are important to remember:

• interessant (interesting)
  • Der Film ist sehr interessant. = The film is very interesting.
• angenehm (pleasant)
  • Es war ein angenehmes Gespräch. = It was a pleasant conversation.
• wichtig (important)
  • Es ist wichtig, dass du pünktlich bist. = It is important that you are on time.

Translation:

• interessant = interesting
• angenehm = pleasant
• wichtig = important

Adjective Position in the Sentence

In German, adjectives usually come before the noun they describe (like in English), but they are often placed after certain verbs (such as sein = to be, werden = to become, and bleiben = to stay).

• Before the noun:
  • der alte Mann (the old man)
• After certain verbs:
  • Der Mann ist alt. (The man is old.)

Summary

• Adjective endings depend on the gender, case, and number of the noun.
• In German, there are three main declensions of adjectives: after definite articles, indefinite articles, and with no article.
• Adjectives can also be used in comparative and superlative forms to compare things.
• Some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms.