Adjektivdeklination | Let's analyze a text!

a2.1 grammar

One of the trickiest parts of German grammar for A2 learners is figuring out why an adjective ending changes from sentence to sentence. The good news: there are only three patterns, and which one applies depends entirely on what comes before the adjective — a definite article, an indefinite article, or nothing at all. In this lesson we analyze a short text together, following Antonio on his vacation in Switzerland, and use every adjective in it to lock in the rule.

The Three Adjective Declension Patterns

Before analyzing any text, it helps to know that a German adjective's ending is decided by whichever word (if any) comes directly in front of it:

1. Weak Declension — After a Definite Article (der, die, das, den, dem...)

When a der-word already shows the case and gender clearly, the adjective doesn't have to work hard — it usually just ends in -e or -en.

2. Mixed Declension — After an Indefinite Article or Possessive (ein, eine, sein, mein...)

Ein-words don't show gender in every case (think of ein Mann vs. ein Buch — identical), so the adjective sometimes has to step in and clarify it, especially in the nominative and accusative.

3. Strong Declension — No Article at All

With no article in front of it, the adjective alone has to carry all the case and gender information, so it takes the same endings a der-word would normally have.

Analyzing Antonio's Text

Here's the short text we work through in the video:

"Antonio verbringt seinen wohlverdienten Urlaub in der wunderschönen Schweiz. Er wohnt in einem kleinen Dorf in den hohen Bergen. Das kalte Wasser der klaren Seen gefällt ihm sehr. Jeden Tag isst er frisches Brot und trinkt heißen Kaffee. Am Abend sitzt er auf einer bequemen Bank und genießt die ruhige Landschaft."

Let's go through every adjective one at a time:

seinen wohlverdienten Urlaub — possessive seinen (masc. Akkusativ) + mixed declension ending -en on the adjective.
der wunderschönen Schweiz — definite article der (fem. Dativ) + weak ending -en.
einem kleinen Dorf — indefinite article einem (neut. Dativ) + mixed ending -en.
den hohen Bergen — definite article den (plural Dativ) + weak ending -en.
Das kalte Wasser — definite article das (neut. Nominativ) + weak ending -e.
der klaren Seen — definite article der (plural Genitiv) + weak ending -en.
frisches Brot — no article (neut. Akkusativ) + strong ending -es.
heißen Kaffee — no article (masc. Akkusativ) + strong ending -en.
einer bequemen Bank — indefinite article einer (fem. Dativ) + mixed ending -en.
die ruhige Landschaft — definite article die (fem. Akkusativ) + weak ending -e.

Quick Reference: Spotting the Pattern

See a der-word? → Weak declension. The ending is almost always -e (singular nominative, and feminine/neuter accusative) or -en (everywhere else).
See an ein-word? → Mixed declension. It behaves like weak declension, except in three spots where the ein-word doesn't show gender on its own: masculine nominative (ein guter Mann), and neuter nominative/accusative (ein kaltes Bier), where the adjective takes the strong ending instead.
No article at all? → Strong declension. The adjective takes the ending a der-word would have had (frisches Brot, like das Brot).

Frequently Asked Questions

What decides a German adjective's ending?

Whatever comes directly before the adjective: a definite article gives weak declension, an indefinite article or possessive gives mixed declension, and no article at all gives strong declension.

What is weak declension in German?

Weak declension applies after definite articles like der, die, das. The adjective ending is usually -e (singular nominative and some accusative forms) or -en everywhere else, since the article already shows the case and gender.

What is mixed declension in German?

Mixed declension applies after ein-words (ein, eine, mein, dein, sein...). It matches weak declension almost everywhere, except in masculine nominative and neuter nominative/accusative, where the adjective takes a strong ending because the ein-word doesn't show gender there.

What is strong declension in German?

Strong declension applies when there's no article before the adjective at all. The adjective ending takes over the job the article would normally do, matching the endings of a der-word.

Why does "frisches Brot" end in -es but "das kalte Wasser" ends in -e?

"Frisches Brot" has no article, so the adjective needs the strong ending -es to show it's neuter accusative. "Das kalte Wasser" already has the article "das" showing that information, so the adjective only needs the weak ending -e.

You'll get plenty more practice like this analyzing real German texts inside our A2-level course.