German Adjective Endings in the Nominative Case
German adjective endings look chaotic until you see the system behind them. This lesson explains why adjectives get endings, when you need them and how the nominative endings work, including a long bonus tip on the whole concept.
When Do You Have to Decline an Adjective?
You decline an adjective when it stands before a noun: ein guter Freund. When it stands after the verb (Der Freund ist gut), it takes no ending.
What Affects the Ending?
The ending depends on the gender, the number, the case and the type of article before it (definite, indefinite or none).
The Nominative Endings
After the definite article (der, die, das): -e in the singular, -en in the plural.
- der gute Mann
- die gute Frau
- das gute Kind
- die guten Kinder
After the indefinite article (ein, eine): the adjective shows the gender in masculine and neuter.
- ein guter Mann
- eine gute Frau
- ein gutes Kind
Without article: the adjective takes the ending of the missing article.
- guter Kaffee
- gute Musik
- gutes Wetter
- gute Freunde
The System Behind the Endings
The idea: the gender signal (-er, -e, -es) has to appear once, either on the article or on the adjective. If the article shows it (der), the adjective takes a neutral ending; if not (ein for masculine, or no article), the adjective shows it. The video explains this system in detail.
Bonus: Negative and Possessive Articles
Negative and possessive articles (kein, mein, dein ...) follow the same pattern as ein, but they also exist in the plural (meine guten Freunde). The full lesson is in Adjektivdeklination with possessive and negative articles.
Keep Practising
Try the text analysis method and learn adjectives with the top 40 German adjectives. The next lessons cover the accusative, dative and genitive.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does an adjective need an ending in German?
When it stands directly before a noun, for example ein guter Freund. After a verb like sein, it takes no ending.
What are the nominative endings after the definite article?
-e in the singular (all genders) and -en in the plural.
What are the nominative endings after ein?
Masculine -er (ein guter Mann), feminine -e (eine gute Frau), neuter -es (ein gutes Kind).
What if there is no article?
The adjective takes the ending of the missing article: guter Kaffee, gute Musik, gutes Wetter.
Do kein and mein work like ein?
Yes, in the singular. In the plural, they have an -en after them: meine guten Freunde.
Want to practise adjective endings until they feel natural? Our A2 German course does exactly that.
