Adjective Endings I: After Definite Articles
In German, adjectives change their endings depending on the gender, case, and number of the noun they modify. This is different from English, where adjectives never change — so it takes a little practice to get used to it!
The good news: when an adjective follows a definite article (der, die, das, die), only two endings appear: -e and -en. This predictable pattern is called the weak declension. Master this table and you will handle the majority of everyday adjective situations.
Why Do Adjectives Change?
German nouns have grammatical gender — masculine, feminine, or neuter — and appear in different cases (Nominative, Accusative, Dative, Genitive) depending on their role in the sentence. An adjective must agree with the noun it modifies in gender, case, and number.
When a definite article (der, die, das) comes before the adjective, the article already carries the main grammatical signal. The adjective only needs a lightweight, "weak" ending: either -e or -en. No strong signals, no surprises.
The Weak Declension Table
Use this table whenever an adjective directly follows der, die, das, or die (plural):
| Case | Masculine (der) | Feminine (die) | Neuter (das) | Plural (die) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | -e | -e | -e | -en |
| Accusative | -en | -e | -e | -en |
| Dative | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| Genitive | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Memory trick: The ending is -e in only five slots — Nominative for all three genders, and Accusative for feminine and neuter. Everything else is -en.
Spotting the Right Case
Before picking an ending, identify the noun's case:
- Nominative — the subject performing the action: Der alte Mann schläft. (The old man sleeps.)
- Accusative — the direct object receiving the action: Ich sehe den alten Mann. (I see the old man.)
- Dative — the indirect object or after dative prepositions (mit, in, auf, bei, von, zu, aus, nach, seit): Ich helfe dem alten Mann. (I help the old man.)
Once you know the gender and case, read the ending off the table above and attach it to the adjective stem.
📖 Examples
Der alte Mann trinkt Kaffee.
The old man drinks coffee.
Die kleine Katze schläft auf dem Sofa.
The little cat sleeps on the sofa.
Das rote Auto gehört meiner Schwester.
The red car belongs to my sister.
Ich kaufe den neuen Laptop.
I am buying the new laptop.
Er liest die interessante Zeitung.
He is reading the interesting newspaper.
Sie wohnt in dem großen Haus.
She lives in the big house.
Die kleinen Kinder spielen im Park.
The little children are playing in the park.
Wir helfen dem müden Lehrer.
We are helping the tired teacher.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Der alt Mann kommt.Der alte Mann kommt.
In German, adjectives placed before a noun always need an ending. After *der* (masculine nominative), the weak ending is **-e**.
Ich sehe die kleine Hund.Ich sehe den kleinen Hund.
*Hund* is masculine. As the direct object it is in the accusative case, so the article changes to *den* and the adjective takes the accusative masculine ending **-en**.
Das Buch ist interessante.Das Buch ist interessant.
After a linking verb like *sein* (to be), the adjective is **predicative** — it does not directly precede a noun and therefore takes **no ending** at all.
Das kleine Mädchen singt gut. → Die kleine Mädchen singt gut.Das kleine Mädchen singt gut.
*Mädchen* (girl) is grammatically **neuter** (*das*), not feminine, even though it refers to a girl. Always use *das* and the neuter endings.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Der ___ Hund bellt laut. (groß)
Ich kaufe die ___ Schuhe. (neu)
Sie schreibt mit dem ___ Stift. (rot)
Das ___ Kind lacht. (klein)
Er liebt die ___ Musik. (klassisch)
Wir danken dem ___ Arzt. (alt)
Die ___ Frau liest ein Buch. (jung)
Ich sehe den ___ Mann. (alt)
Das ___ Wetter macht mich glücklich. (schön)
Sie hilft den ___ Kindern. (klein)