German Adjectives – Declension, Placement and Usage

Adjectives (Adjektive) in German describe nouns and provide more information about them, such as color, size or quality. They change depending on gender, number, case and the article used. On this page, you will learn about strong, weak and mixed adjective endings with clear examples.

1. What Are Adjectives in German?

Adjectives describe nouns and usually appear before the noun. They agree in gender, number and case with the noun they modify.

Example:

• Der große Hund schläft. → The big dog is sleeping.
• Eine schöne Blume. → A beautiful flower.

2. Adjective Placement

Adjectives can appear:

• Before a noun: der rote Apfel (the red apple)
• After a verb: Der Apfel ist rot. (The apple is red.)

3. Adjective Declension

The ending of a German adjective depends on:

• Whether the noun has a definite article (der, die, das)
• Whether it has an indefinite article (ein, eine)
• Whether there is no article
• The case (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive)
• The gender (masculine, feminine, neuter, plural)

Strong Adjective Endings (No Article)

Example: Guter Wein ist teuer. → Good wine is expensive.

Weak Adjective Endings (With Definite Article)

Mixed Adjective Endings (With Indefinite Article)

4. Comparative and Superlative Forms

German adjectives can also form comparatives and superlatives:

• Comparative: größer → bigger
• Superlative: am größten → the biggest

Example: Mein Haus ist größer als dein Haus. → My house is bigger than your house.

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Always match the adjective ending with the article, case and gender.
• Be careful with plural nouns — endings are different.
• Remember that adjectives after verbs like sein, bleiben, werden don’t change endings.

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Summary

German adjectives are essential for describing nouns accurately. Mastering adjective endings will make your sentences grammatically correct and more natural in German.