German Adjective Endings in the Accusative Case
In the accusative case, only one gender changes its adjective ending compared to the nominative: the masculine. This lesson shows you how to decline German adjectives in the accusative with definite and indefinite articles, with tables and example sentences you can copy.
Before You Start: The Nominative
This lesson builds on the nominative endings. If you have not seen them yet, start with German Adjective Endings in the Nominative Case. There you learn why German has adjective endings at all, and that background makes the accusative much easier to understand.
The Big Idea: Only the Masculine Changes
The accusative answers the question Wen oder was? and, as you know, only the masculine article changes: der → den, ein → einen. The same happens with the adjective ending. For feminine, neuter and plural nouns, the endings look exactly like in the nominative.
Adjective Endings with the Definite Article
After der, die, das the adjective ending is either -e or -en. In the accusative, the masculine changes from -e to -en.
| Gender | Accusative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | den roten Pullover | Ich kaufe den roten Pullover. |
| feminine | die rote Jacke | Ich kaufe die rote Jacke. |
| neuter | das rote Kleid | Ich kaufe das rote Kleid. |
| plural | die roten Schuhe | Ich kaufe die roten Schuhe. |
Adjective Endings with the Indefinite Article
With ein, eine and the negation kein, the pattern is the same as above. The masculine ends in -en, feminine ends in -e, and the neuter ends in -es, because ein shows no ending by itself. In the plural there is no ein, so we use kein.
| Gender | Accusative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | einen roten Pullover | Ich kaufe einen roten Pullover. |
| feminine | eine rote Jacke | Ich kaufe eine rote Jacke. |
| neuter | ein rotes Kleid | Ich kaufe ein rotes Kleid. |
| plural | keine roten Schuhe | Ich kaufe keine roten Schuhe. |
Nominative vs. Accusative at a Glance
Compare the two cases for the masculine, the only gender where they differ:
- Der rote Pullover ist schön. → Ich kaufe den roten Pullover.
- Ein roter Pullover ist schön. → Ich kaufe einen roten Pullover.
Feminine, neuter and plural stay the same: die rote Jacke in both cases, ein rotes Kleid in both cases.
How to Practise
Take a verb that needs the accusative, for example one of the 30 most important German verbs with accusative, and build sentences with a colour or size adjective and a noun of each gender. If you need a refresher on the case itself, read What is Akkusativ?. For a text example, see Adjektivdeklination: Let's analyze a text!.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which adjective ending do I use in the accusative?
With a definite article the ending is -en for masculine and plural, and -e for feminine and neuter. With an indefinite article it is -en for masculine, -e for feminine and -es for neuter.
Which gender changes in the accusative?
Only the masculine. Der rote Pullover becomes den roten Pullover. Feminine, neuter and plural look like the nominative.
Why is it "ein rotes Kleid" and not "ein rote Kleid"?
Ein has no ending in the neuter, so the adjective has to show the case and gender itself, with -es. This is the same in the nominative and the accusative.
Do adjectives always get an ending?
No. When the adjective stands after the noun, as in Der Pullover ist rot, it has no ending. Endings only appear when the adjective stands directly before the noun.
What should I learn before the accusative endings?
The nominative endings. They explain the basic system, and the accusative only changes the masculine.
Want to practise adjective endings until they feel natural? Our A2 German course gives you structured lessons and exercises for exactly this.
