Adjectives (Adjektive) are words that describe or modify nouns. In German, adjectives work differently than in English because they can change their form depending on the case, whether they appear with definite or indefinite articles and so on.
Examples:
- Der Kaffee ist heiß. (The coffee is hot.)
- Das ist ein heißer Kaffee. (That is a hot coffee.)
Two Ways to Use Adjectives in German
German adjectives can be used in two main ways, and this determines whether they need special endings or not.
1. Adjectives After the Noun (No Endings)
When an adjective comes after the noun, usually with verbs like sein (to be), werden (to become), or bleiben (to remain), the adjective stays in its base form with NO endings.
Example | English Translation |
Das Haus ist groß. | The house is big. |
Die Frau ist nett. | The woman is nice. |
Der Film war interessant. | The movie was interesting. |
Das Wetter wird kalt. | The weather is getting cold. |
Sie bleibt ruhig. | She remains calm. |
2. Adjectives Before the Noun (Need Endings)
When an adjective comes directly before the noun it describes, it must have special endings.
Example | English Translation |
Das große Haus | The big house |
Die nette Frau | The nice woman |
Ein interessanter Film | An interesting movie |
Das kalte Wetter | The cold weather |
Guter Wein | Good wine |
The specific ending depends on several factors:
- the gender of the noun (masculine, feminine, neuter)
- the case (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive)
- and whether there's an (definite or indefinite) article before it. We'll cover these detailed rules in the next lesson
Adjectives Describing How (No Endings)
Adjectives can also be used to describe how an action is done. In English, we often add "-ly" to make adverbs (quick → quickly), but in German, the adjective stays in its base form with no ending.
Example | English Translation |
Sie singt schön. | She sings beautifully. |
Er läuft schnell. | He runs quickly. |
Das Kind spricht leise. | The child speaks quietly. |
Sie arbeitet fleißig. | She works diligently. |
Er erklärt es gut. | He explains it well. |