Declension of German adjectives
Private lessons, group classes, tutoring and language courses (A1, A2, B2, B2, C1, C2)
Sign up
In German there are different types of adjectives. While one type needs to be declined in order to fit into the sentence, the other ones stay in their normal form. This chapter deals with the conjugation of German attributive adjectives.
Lesson Outline
Hide- 1.Different types of German adjectives
- 2.Correct conjugation of German attributive adjectives
- 3.The weak declension of German adjectives
- 3.1.Table of weak declension
- 4.The mixed declension of German adjectives
- 4.1.Table of mixed declension
- 5.The strong declension of German adjectives
- 5.1.Table of strong declension
- 6.Spelling changes of adjectives in German
- 7.Exercises
- 7.1.Declension of German adjectives 1
- 7.2.Declension of German adjectives 2
Different types of German adjectives
In contrast to the attributive adjectives, the predicative adjectives follow the noun in a sentence and therefore don't need to be declined.
- Das Auto ist rot. = the car is red.
Because attributive adjectives come between the article of a noun and the noun itself, it is necessary to decline the adjective to adapt it to the noun.
- das rote Auto = the red car
Have a look at the chapter about different types of adjectives in German to get a better idea of their differences.
Have a question?
Take online language lessons with a professional teacher
- Native & verified teachers
- Free trial lesson
- Learning materials included
Correct conjugation of German attributive adjectives
In order to determine the right form of declension you need to have a at these characteristics:
- The article belonging to the noun (definitie / indefinite)
- The number of the noun (singular / plural)
- The gender of the noun (masculine / feminine /neutral)
- The case of the noun (nominative / genitive / dative / accusative)
To find the right form of declension afterwards, you mainly should have a look at the article:
- the weak declension (definite article + adjctive)
- the strong declension (indefinite article + adjective)
- the mixed declension (no preceding article + adjective)
The weak declension of German adjectives
The weak declension is used, an definite article like der, die, das, die (plural) refers to the noun of a sentence. In this case, the article gives enough information about the number, gender and case of the noun.
Always keep in mind, that the article has to be declined as well. To learn more about it, have a look at the chapter about definite german articles.
Table of weak declension
| weak declension | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der liebe Vater | die liebe Mutter | das liebe Kind | die lieben Kinder |
| Accusative | den lieben Vater | die liebe Mutter | das liebe Kind | die lieben Kinder |
| Dative | dem lieben Vater | der lieben Mutter | dem lieben Kind | den lieben Kindern |
| Genitive | des lieben Vaters | der lieben Mutter | des lieben Kindes | der lieben Kinder |
In this case the declension is very easy, since the adjective can only have the endings '-e' or '-en'.
For more detailed information about the four german cases have a look at the special chapter about it.
The mixed declension of German adjectives
The mixed declension is used, if:
- an indefinite article (ein, eine)
- or a possesive pronoun (mein, dein, kein, ...)
comes before the adjective and the noun of a sentence.
Table of mixed declension
| Mixed declension | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ein lieber Vater | eine liebe Mutter | ein liebes Kind | keine lieben Kinder |
| Accusative | einen lieben Vater | eine liebe Mutter | ein liebes Kind | keine lieben Kinder |
| Dative | einem lieben Vater | einer lieben Mutter | einem lieben Kind | keinen lieben Kindern |
| Genitive | eines lieben Vaters | einer lieben Mutter | eines lieben Kindes | keiner lieben Kinder |
The strong declension of German adjectives
The strong declension is used when no definite or indefinite article comes before the noun. When and when not you use articles in German is explained in another chapter.
There are some exeptions to this rule. If a pronoun (e.g. dergleichen, dessen, wessen etc.) precedes the adjective you should also use the strong declension.
Table of strong declension
| strong declension | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | lieber Vater | liebe Mutter | liebes Kind | liebe Kinder |
| Accusative | lieben Vater | liebe Mutter | liebes Kind | liebe Kinder |
| Dative | liebem Vater | lieber Mutter | liebem Kinde | lieben Kindern |
| Genitive | lieben Vaters | lieber Mutter | lieben Kindes | lieber Kinder |
Spelling changes of adjectives in German
We might need to change the appearance and spelling of the adjective in order to wisely insert it into a sentence. The same thing might be necessary if prefixes and suffixes, or the different forms of comparative and superlative will be used. Then you always have to watch the right spelling of the words.
| Adjective and ending | Example |
|---|---|
| voll + ig = völlig (completely) | völlig ausverkauft (completely sold out) |
| krank + lich = kränklich (sikish) | das kränkliche Mädchen (the sikish girl) |
| schwarz + lich = schwärzlich (blackish) | das schwärzliche Kleid (the blackish dress) |
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| alt | älter | am ältesten |
| klug | klüger | am klügsten |
| schwach | schwächer | am schwächsten |
| teuer | teurer | am teuersten |
Exercises
Declension of German adjectives 1
Declension of German adjectives 2
What our students say
Unlike in other platforms, all our teachers are manually verified by our professional team. Trust in the experiences of our students.
Welcome to everyone who would like to learn a new language or deepen their knowledge! I am studying DaF (German as a foreign language) as a subsidiary subject at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. I have already gained more than 300 hours of experience in adult education through internships. I design my online lessons communicatively and technically at a high Level with the help of various tools . In addition to my teaching, I offer interactive links with exercises that are perfectly adapted to the topic.
I have already gained experience in preparing for the TELC exam.
I am looking forward to inspiring you through my online lessons!
I am also happy to give French lessons for beginners (level A1 to B1). French is my language of choice, I studied it and I have been teaching French courses with great enthusiasm for one year now.
I also take great pleasure in my SWISS-GERMAN courses!
Please contact me if you have any questions.
Jose C.
Naira a really nice teacher. She is well prepared ahead of the class, she brings the teaching material in a intelligent and helpful manner for each session. She is assertive and can help you understand complex topics in a supportive way. We discussed initially about my goals and have been working systematically towards successfully taking the TELC certificates. I really recommend her to anyone!
Naira R.
Hello Jose! Thank you very much for your nice message. I am incredibly pleased that you are satisfied with my lessons. See you soon! Naira
Hello everyone and a big warm welcome to all the fellow language learners,
My name is Katerina, I’m a native Russian speaker and a foreign language teacher from St Petersburg, Russia. I’ve always been addicted to learning foreign languages, be it English, German, Spanish, Turkish or Arabic, so turning my passion into my job was just a matter of time. I have a Master’s degree in linguistics which taught me to understand the way the mechanism of a language works and thus to help my students see the logics behind the grammar rules. Being a constant language learner enables me to see the process from both sides and to predict the difficulties my students might face. The fact that I’m not a native speaker of English or German means I’ve been through exactly the same language-learning journey you’re about to take, and thanks to my personal experience as a student, I can make this road smooth for you.
I've had students of all ages, from pre-school kids to senior generation, and I feel comfortable working with both beginners and those who are eager to take their learning process to a new level. In my classes I encourage you to talk in the language we’re studying as much as possible, putting every single bit of knowledge into practice right away. If you’re a Russian-learner, I’d be glad to prove it to you that you can absolutely nail my mother-tongue - and yes, you’ll be able to make a small talk in Russian by the end of the first class even if you’re an absolute beginner! We’ll be focusing on the topics that are most relevant to your goals, while discovering the language and getting to know more about the culture of people who speak it.
I offer a short free trial class, for us to give each other a smile and discuss our teaching pattern, in order to ajust it to your goals and make our lessons the bee's knees :) See you soon!
Silvia B.
Ekaterina writes new words and sentences learnt during the lesson. She has got a very nice attitude and great accent! A pleasure to work with... yes, even in German!!!!!
Ekaterina V.
Dear Silvia, thank you very much for your feedback! It's a real pleasure to have classes with you, and I hope you find them useful!
My name is Christina and I provide fun German and French language lesson for children and adult beginners or intermediate who want to strengthen their language skills, improve the grammar knowledge, enrich the vocabulary and get into the German culture! I can teach in English or French!
I had experince in teaching German, English and French to foreign people so I do have a lot of useful learning material I can provide you to make it easier!
Padraig B.
Fantastic opportunity to improve your German with a Native speaker. Christina is really helpful, very friendly and I would fully recommend to anyone!
Christina F.
Thanks a lot Padraig ..... good luck Thank you very much Padraig and good luck
Hi, my name is Mihaela and I´m a German language teacher with a Masters degree in German, who was born and lived in Switzerland.
I work since 2015 as German language teacher for various companies, but since I love languages, I work also as a translator and became a sworn translator (certified German court interpreter) in 2016. In 2018 I opened my own company for translation and language education.
– ABOUT THE CLASS –
I offer standard language courses for A1, A2, B1, B2 level.
The topics and exercises are following the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), because of that they include grammar, speaking and reading exercises.
The lessons will also prepare you for following tests: Start Deutsch A1 + A2, telc Deutsch Beruf A2 + B1, Zertifikat Deutsch (B1).
This is ideal for students who want to improve their fluency and communication skills through conversations by actively participating in the class and for students who want to learn new words to improve their vocabulary by reading texts on various topics.
My teaching method is to adapt to every student differently depending on their needs and language level.
All learning materials and exercises will be provided before or during the lesson.
* Please don't book lessons without consulting, because coLanguage shows only my general availability, not the actual.
Marilena C.
Mihaela is very professional, punctual and well organised. She plans the lessons well with relevant materials based on the student interests and level. She is very flexible about rescheduling classes and always available for any doubts or requests.
Mihaela S.
Thank you very much Marilena :)
German lessons with a bilingual native speaker
Alessandra C.
I can only say that I learned a lot with her. I'm really super satisfied because I'm seeing the improvements. She is really very good. I really recommend it.
Miriam C.
Thank you very much Alessandra. I am very happy about your message, but above all about your progress and I am very proud of you. You are very ambitious and you have the right motivation. We are a good team together. All the best and until the next lesson.
Hi!
I would be very glad if you let me be your guide through your language lessons. Spanish is my mother tongue and I really enjoy explaning things that might seem difficult to students. I like explaining grammar, pronounciation, vocabulary and useful idioms. I have been teaching foreign languages since 1994. I can also speak fluently English, Czech, Italian, French, and German. I can teach them too:) I have got a certification as a German Teacher from Goehte Institut Munich and many other certifications for the other languages (Italian PLIDA, French Diplome de Langue, French DELF and DALF, plenty of training courses for teaching Spanish, English TOEFL..) I also have a Ph.D. in Political Economy from the University of Economics in Prague. My favourite students are my three almost "four"lingual daughters:) with which I test all the teaching methods I know...
I always try to adapt my methodology to each student´s needs and expectations, so feel free to contact me and we can start our lessons!
Chiara M.
A prepared and kind teacher, ready to teach with patience and good humor. He provided me with very useful materials to study and review even after the lesson. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn a language with a smile. Thanks Silvia :)
Silvia C.
Thank you so much for the Chiara review! It was a real pleasure to have this lesson with you. I wish you a nice trip with the German language!
My interest in learning foreign languages has arisen since I was a young girl. At 13 I made up my mind to attend the foreign language high school where I graduaded with proficiency. After a few years I got my University degree.
I have been teaching for a few years privately via Skype Italian mainly to German adult students. My method is based to consolidate the grammar knowledge if previuosly done or to base it by catching their attention on interesting topics. I provide my students all material needed to plan a valuable lesson and for this reason I have gathered fulfilling reviews on other teaching platforms
About Italian students studying German with me, most of them are interested in deeping topics dealt at school or being prepared to get a certification.
I look forward to hearing from you
Maria Grazia
Luigi D.
I did the first 4 lessons and I am fully satisfied. Precise teacher, very clear in the explanations, easy to follow, very helpful and patient even with those who start from scratch like me. Excellent pronunciation and very useful support with didactic material available. Result: perfect
Maria Grazia L.
Thanks a lot for the nice review. It is a real pleasure to be able to help you with German.
I am a German native speaker who loves languages and am passionate about teaching others. I work as language teacher in a school, teach adults at the German Culture Center and prepare my students for all types of official language exams. I love my job and always seek to make it as much fun as possible.
Anne M.
She is a great teacher that takes the time for her students.
She also focuses on what you need and if you find certain exercises hard she will make sure she will have some extra material for you to practice.
She has all sorts of material and will tell you what you need to know, be able to do for a certain goethe level.
Loved how she just let me sometimes try and struggle with an exercise before helping me.
Melanie A.
I am happy that I can help you.
German individually for each level
Milena I.
Dani does our teaching pretty well and everything is easy for me to understand on the outside.
Dani K.
INSEGNANTE DI TEDESCO
Michele C.
What about Fiorina ..... person available, prepared and always sunny ... for those who want to learn German I recommend studying with her.
Fiorina D.
German lesson
Corinne T.
Micaela is an excellent teacher, prepared and above all organized and awake. My lerning experience has been more than positive!
Micaela C.
Hello,
my name is Nina, I'm from Austria and I also lived for one year and a half in Canada. I worked there as a German Teacher for adults, so I speak German, English and French.
I also teach English for beginners and advanced beginners.
My teaching methodes are totally based on the level of my student. If somebody is already advanced, I focus on communication and pronunciation. We will arrange on a topic and talk and discuss in the lesson about it.
If my student is a beginner, I'm gonna start with the basics of the German language. (the articles, the verb "to be", the pronouns...)
The learning material is all made by myself, because I'm a German teacher, so that means, I already got lots of working sheets for many topics. I send these to my student via e-mail or put it directly on the coLanguage homepage.
I'm available from Monday to Thursday between 5pm and 08:00 pm. For the weekend it's the best to just send me a request.
Of course is a free trial lesson (it's about 20 minutes) possible.
I'm happy to teach you :-)
See you soon! Nina
Dan O.
Seasons, weekdays, words relating to time. Reviewing conjugations of sein and haben but adding in new vocabulary
Nina V.
Hello =)
My name is Karolin and I have been living in Chile for more than 2 years now. I've been teaching via Skype for quite some time and I've found that this kind of work is fun. That's why I would like to expand my circle of students.
Both in English and in German, I teach classes for beginners and advanced students. I speak Spanish fluently, but I do not want to cheat anyone, so I note here that I speak the spanish from Chile. I learned and teach the spanish from Spain and I can explain the differences if you're interested, but that is why I only teach spanish for beginners.
If you'd like to get to know me and my teaching methods, just contact me and we will do a free trial lesson.
See you soon!
Martyn H.
I am growing in confidence all the time with German - and progressively enjoying the lessons more - because of the lesson planning, variety and patient explanation of my teacher. Karolin is very flexible and sets out the lessons and objectives very clearly. She is an excellent teacher.
Karolin G.
Thanks to many years of experience, I offer you professional language instruction via Skype.
I am a native speaker (bilingual German and English) and have been working with Skype for over 9 years. The courses are optimally tailored to your language level and job description. Arrange a trial lesson.
Proficient handling of everyday German, leading to various certificates (Goethe Certificates, DaF etc.), specific courses for the professional field (hotel, tourism, law, medicine - FACHSPRACHENPRÜFUNG MEDIZIN, technology, business.....).
Sergey B.
I'm learning German with Belinda (currently B1) and I am trying to do a final push, so i can finally start speaking. Classes are very well prepared and structured. The book/ books used in the class have exercises that actually make your brain work and are not always easy to do ( this is for people who had experience with easy and boring grammar materials). We play dialogues, we have conversations through which the teacher understands where I am with my level and is trying to make adjustments to the program. And there's a lot of homework (when you ask for it) !!! : )
Belinda W.
I'm a Italian/German bilingual teacher form Florence!
I offer lessons for beginners as well as for advanced speakers. I carry out different kinds of lessons: I could help you for example to prepare for a test, for your trip to Italy or for more advanced needs.
The lessons are focused on improving listening/comprehension skills as well as reading, writing, speaking and grammar.
If you want to know more about my methods, just book a trial lesson! It's free! I hope to see you soon!
Marion V.
The lesson was perfectly geared to my needs. As my requirement for learning does not fit easily in any 'set course' or classroom situation, this individual approach, looking at what I need and then providing it, suits me very well indeed. I am very happy with the way in which the teaching / learning experience is going so far and would certainly recommend Niccoló.
Niccolò C.