Adjective Endings (Adjektivdeklination)
An attributive adjective (one standing before a noun) takes an ending that depends on three things: the case, the gender/number of the noun, and — crucially — the kind of word before it. There are three ending sets: weak after the definite article (der/die/das), mixed after ein-/kein-/the possessives, and strong when nothing precedes the adjective. A predicative adjective (after sein, werden, bleiben) takes no ending at all: Das Auto ist rot.
Predicative vs. attributive
If the adjective comes after the verb (sein/werden/bleiben) it never changes: Das Auto ist rot, Die Häuser sind alt. It only takes an ending when it sits in front of the noun: das rote Auto, die alten Häuser.
Der Kaffee ist heiß.
The coffee is hot.
Predicative — no ending.
der heiße Kaffee
the hot coffee
Attributive — ending -e.
Weak endings (after der/die/das, diese, jede, alle …)
When a definite article already shows the case and gender, the adjective does little work: the ending is -e in the nominative singular (all genders) and in the accusative for feminine/neuter; everything else is -en. So you only ever see two endings here: -e and -en.
Weak adjective endings after the definite article
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der gute Mann | die gute Frau | das gute Kind | die guten Kinder |
| Accusative | den guten Mann | die gute Frau | das gute Kind | die guten Kinder |
| Dative | dem guten Mann | der guten Frau | dem guten Kind | den guten Kindern |
Mixed endings (after ein-, kein-, mein-, dein- …)
After ein-words the pattern is mostly weak, except in the three spots where "ein" itself has no ending to show the gender: masculine nominative (-er), neuter nominative (-es), and neuter accusative (-es). There the adjective must show it instead.
ein guter Mann
a good man
Masc. nom. — adjective takes -er.
ein gutes Kind
a good child
Neut. nom./acc. — adjective takes -es.
eine gute Frau
a good woman
Fem. nom./acc. — -e.
mit meinem guten Freund
with my good friend
Dative — -en, as in the weak set.
Strong endings (no article)
With no determiner, the adjective carries the full case signal and takes endings that look like the definite article itself (der→-er, das→-es, dem→-em …): guter Wein, kaltes Wasser, mit gutem Wein. The one exception is the masculine and neuter genitive, which take -en (because the noun already adds -s): guten Weins.
Guter Wein ist teuer.
Good wine is expensive.
Masc. nom. — -er.
Ich trinke kaltes Wasser.
I drink cold water.
Neut. acc. — -es.
mit frischem Brot
with fresh bread
Neut. dat. — -em.
Examples
das rote Auto
the red car
Weak, neuter nominative → -e.
einen großen Hund
a big dog (obj.)
Mixed, masc. accusative → -en.
mit den kleinen Kindern
with the little children
Weak, dative plural → -en.
Ich habe guten Wein gekauft.
I bought good wine.
Strong, masc. accusative → -en.
The three ending sets at a glance
| Determiner before the adjective | Ending set | Example (masc. nom.) |
|---|---|---|
| der / die / das, dieser, jeder | Weak | der gute Mann |
| ein, kein, mein, dein … | Mixed | ein guter Mann |
| (nothing) | Strong | guter Mann |
Common Mistakes
- Adding an ending to a predicative adjective: **Das Auto ist ~~rotes~~** → **rot**. After sein/werden the adjective never changes.
- Using -e everywhere in the weak set. Only the nominative singular (and fem./neut. accusative) is -e; the masculine accusative and all datives/plurals are **-en**: *den gut**en** Mann*.
- Forgetting that after **ein** (masc. nom. / neut. nom. & acc.) the adjective must carry the gender: *ein gut**er** Mann**, **ein gut**es** Kind*.
Lookup Tips
- Ask three questions in order: which case? which gender/number? what comes before the adjective? The answer pins the ending.
- Shortcut for the weak set: it is **-e** only in the nominative singular and the fem./neut. accusative; otherwise **-en**.
- If nothing precedes the adjective, make its ending match the definite article (der→-er, das→-es, dem→-em) — except masc./neut. genitive, which is -en.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it "ein guter Mann" but "der gute Mann"?
Because **der** already shows masculine nominative, so the adjective can relax to the weak -e. **Ein** shows nothing there, so the adjective steps in with the strong-looking -er. That is the whole idea behind the mixed set.
Do adjectives after "sein" or "werden" take endings?
No. Predicative adjectives — those standing after sein, werden, or bleiben rather than before a noun — never take an ending: **Sie ist müde**, **Es wird kalt**.
What ending do adjectives take in the dative?
In the weak and mixed sets, every dative (all genders and the plural) is **-en**: **mit dem guten Freund**, **mit meiner guten Freundin**. In the strong set the dative is **-em** (masc./neut.) or **-er** (fem.): **mit gutem Wein**.