Adjectives Used as Nouns
In German, adjectives can be used directly as nouns (substantivierte Adjektive). When this happens, the adjective is capitalized and takes the same endings it would have if it were modifying an invisible noun.
Key Principle: Adjectival nouns keep their adjective endings based on:
- The article (or lack thereof) preceding them
- The case required by the sentence
- Whether they refer to something masculine, feminine, or abstract/neuter
Referring to People
When referring to people, the gender of the adjectival noun matches the person being described:
German | English |
der Alte | the old man |
die Alte | the old woman |
ein Alter | an old man |
eine Alte | an old woman |
die Alten | the old people / the elderly |
- Der Kranke liegt im Bett → The sick man is lying in bed
- Er ist ein Bekannter von mir → He is an acquaintance of mine
Referring to Abstract Concepts
When referring to abstract ideas or things, the adjectival noun is neuter and often follows words like etwas, nichts, viel, wenig, alles:
Pattern with Indefinite Pronouns:
- etwas / nichts / viel / wenig + adjective with strong neuter ending (-es)
- alles + adjective with weak neuter ending (-e)
German | English |
etwas Neues | something new |
nichts Besonderes | nothing special |
viel Interessantes | much that is interesting |
das Wichtige | the important thing |
- Gibt es etwas Neues? → Is there something new?
- Das Beste kommt zum Schluss → The best comes at the end.
Important Distinction:
- After etwas, nichts, viel, wenig: use strong ending (-es): etwas Schönes
- After alles or with definite article: use weak ending (-e): alles Gute, *das Beste*
Common Adjectival Nouns
Some adjectival nouns are used so frequently that they function essentially as fixed vocabulary:
Base Adjective | Adjectival Noun | Meaning |
deutsch (German) | der/die Deutsche | the German (person) |
angestellt (employed) | der/die Angestellte | the employee |
verlobt (engaged) | der/die Verlobte | the fiancé(e) |
bekannt (known) | der/die Bekannte | the acquaintance |
Adjectives with Fixed Prepositions
Many German adjectives require specific prepositions to complete their meaning. The preposition determines the case of the following noun or pronoun.
Pattern: Subject + sein + adjective + preposition + object (in required case)
Adjectives with Accusative Prepositions
Adjective + Preposition | English | Example |
stolz auf + Akk. | proud of | Ich bin stolz auf dich.
(I am proud of you.) |
wĂĽtend auf + Akk. | angry at | Er ist wĂĽtend auf seinen Bruder.
(He is angry at his brother.) |
bereit fĂĽr + Akk. | ready for | Ich bin bereit fĂĽr die PrĂĽfung.
(I am ready for the exam.) |
dankbar fĂĽr + Akk. | grateful for | Ich bin dankbar fĂĽr deine Hilfe.
(I am grateful for your help.) |
gewöhnt an + Akk. | used to | Ich bin an das Wetter gewöhnt.
(I am used to the weather.) |
Adjectives with Dative Prepositions
Adjective + Preposition | English | Example |
zufrieden mit + Dat. | satisfied with | Ich bin zufrieden mit dem Ergebnis.
(I am satisfied with the result.) |
befreundet mit + Dat. | friends with | Sie ist befreundet mit meiner Schwester.
(She is friends with my sister.) |
abhängig von + Dat. | dependent on | Das ist abhängig von dir.
(That depends on you.) |
ĂĽberzeugt von + Dat. | convinced of | Ich bin ĂĽberzeugt von seiner Unschuld.
(I am convinced of his innocence.) |
Adjectives Requiring the Dative Case
Some adjectives in German take a dative object directly (without a preposition). The dative noun or pronoun indicates who is affected by the quality described.
Pattern: Dative object + sein + adjective
Adjective | English | Example |
ähnlich | similar to | Du bist deinem Vater ähnlich.
(You are similar to your father.) |
bekannt | known to | Das ist mir bekannt.
(That is known to me.) |
dankbar | grateful to | Ich bin dir sehr dankbar.
(I am very grateful to you.) |
egal | indifferent to | Das ist mir egal.
(That is indifferent to me. / I don't care.) |
peinlich | embarrassing to | Das ist mir peinlich.
(That is embarrassing to me.) |
Special Adjective Forms
Adjectives Ending in -el, -en, -er
Adjectives ending in -el or -er often drop the e when adding endings:
Adjective | With Ending | Example |
dunkel (dark) | dunkl- + ending | ein dunkler Raum |
edel (noble) | edl- + ending | ein edler Wein |
teuer (expensive) | teur- + ending | ein teures Auto |
sauer (sour) | saur- + ending | eine saure Zitrone |
Exception: Adjectives ending in -en usually keep their e:
- offen → ein offenes Fenster
- trocken → ein trockener Sommer
Adjectives Ending in -a
Some adjectives (mostly borrowed from other languages) end in -a and are indeclinable—they never take endings:
Adjective | Meaning | Example |
rosa | pink | ein rosa Kleid |
lila | purple | eine lila Blume |
prima | great/excellent | eine prima Idee |
Alternatively, you can add -farben or -farbig to make these color adjectives declinable:
- ein rosafarbenes Kleid
- eine lilafarbene Blume
Adjectives from City Names
Adjectives formed from city names end in -er and are indeclinable:
City | Adjective | Example |
Berlin | Berliner | die Berliner Mauer |
MĂĽnchen | MĂĽnchner | das MĂĽnchner Oktoberfest |
Wien | Wiener | ein Wiener Schnitzel |
Hamburg | Hamburger | der Hamburger Hafen |
These adjectives are always capitalized and never change their form regardless of case, gender, or number.
Extended Adjective Constructions (Erweitertes Partizip)
In formal written German, adjectives can be extended with additional modifiers that all come before the noun. This structure is common in academic, legal, and journalistic texts.
Structure: article + [modifiers] + adjective/participle + noun
All modifiers and the adjective form a single unit that precedes the noun.
Example | English Translation |
der gestern angekommene Zug | the train that arrived yesterday |
die in Deutschland lebenden Ausländer | the foreigners living in Germany |
das von vielen Studenten gelesene Buch | the book read by many students |
die fĂĽr morgen geplante Konferenz | the conference planned for tomorrow |
Conversion to Relative Clause:
These constructions can always be converted to relative clauses:
- der gestern angekommene Zug = der Zug, der gestern angekommen ist
- die in Deutschland lebenden Ausländer = die Ausländer, die in Deutschland leben
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