Indefinite Adjectives in German

This section explains indefinite adjectives in German and includes tips for students studying foundation and higher tiers.

Introduction to Indefinite Adjectives

Indefinite adjectives in German are used to describe nouns in a non-specific or general way. They are similar to English words like "some," "any," "many," "few," and "several." Unlike definite adjectives (e.g., der, die, das), indefinite adjectives do not refer to a specific noun but instead to something non-specific or unknown.

Some common indefinite adjectives include:

• einiger (some)
• mancher (many, several)
• kein (no, none)
• viel (much, many)
• wenig (few, little)
• alle (all)

Indefinite adjectives can change their endings based on the gender, case, and number of the noun they modify, similar to demonstrative adjectives.

Common Indefinite Adjectives

Here are some of the most commonly used indefinite adjectives in German:

• ein (a, one)
• kein (no, none)
• viel (much, many)
• wenig (few, little)
• mancher (many, several)
• einiger (some)
• alle (all)
• jeder (each, every)

Declining Indefinite Adjectives

Indefinite adjectives follow similar rules to the declension of adjectives in general. Their endings depend on the gender, case, and number of the noun they are modifying. Let’s look at the declension of a few of the most common indefinite adjectives in different cases.

Declension of “ein” (a, one)

Declension of “kein” (no, none)

Examples with "ein" and "kein":

• Ein Hund läuft im Park. = A dog is running in the park. (Masculine, nominative)
• Ich sehe eine Katze. = I see a cat. (Feminine, accusative)
• Kein Auto ist da. = No car is there. (Neuter, nominative)
• Wir haben keine Äpfel. = We don’t have any apples. (Plural, accusative)

Examples of Other Indefinite Adjectives

Some other indefinite adjectives in German include viel (much), wenig (few), mancher (many, several), and alle (all). These adjectives follow the same rules of declension.

Examples with "viel" (much, many):

• Ich habe viel Zeit. = I have much time. (Neuter, nominative)
• Sie hat viele Freunde. = She has many friends. (Plural, accusative)

Examples with "wenig" (few, little):

• Er hat wenig Geld. = He has little money. (Neuter, accusative)
• Wenige Menschen kommen. = Few people are coming. (Plural, nominative)

Examples with "mancher" (many, several):

• Mancher Schüler ist krank. = Some students are sick. (Masculine, nominative)
• Manche Kinder spielen draußen. = Some children are playing outside. (Plural, nominative)

Examples with "alle" (all):

• Alle Hunde sind nett. = All dogs are nice. (Plural, nominative)
• Alle Menschen sind willkommen. = All people are welcome. (Plural, nominative)

Negating with "kein"

The adjective kein is the negation of ein. It is used when you want to say "none" or "no" in the context of a noun. This is particularly useful when you want to indicate that something does not exist or is absent.

Examples with "kein":

• Ich habe kein Geld. = I have no money.
• Wir haben keine Äpfel mehr. = We have no apples left.
• Er hat keine Zeit. = He has no time.

Higher Tier: Using Indefinite Adjectives in More Complex Sentences

In higher-tier German, indefinite adjectives are often used in more complex structures, particularly when discussing general ideas or situations involving larger groups or unspecified quantities.

• Viele Leute kommen heute Abend. = Many people are coming tonight.
• Einige Schüler haben das Buch vergessen. = Some students forgot the book.
• Wenig Zeit bleibt übrig. = Little time is left.
• Jeder muss seine Hausaufgaben machen. = Everyone must do their homework.

In these cases, the indefinite adjectives are used to refer to a general number or amount of people, things, or ideas.

Key Indefinite Adjectives:

• ein = a, one (masculine/neuter)
• eine = a (feminine)
• kein = no, none (masculine/neuter)
• keine = no, none (feminine/plural)
• viel = much, many
• wenig = few, little
• mancher = many, several
• alle = all
• einiger = some

Summary

• Indefinite adjectives are used to describe nouns in a non-specific or general way (e.g., "some," "many," "few").
• The most common indefinite adjectives include ein (a), kein (no), viel (much), wenig (few), mancher (many), and alle (all).
• Indefinite adjectives change their endings according to gender, case, and number of the noun they modify.
• Kein is used for negation (e.g., kein Geld = no money).
• Higher-tier students may need to use indefinite adjectives in more complex structures to express general ideas or quantities.

By practising the use of these indefinite adjectives, you'll be able to talk about general quantities and descriptions in German with greater clarity.