German Adjective Endings: The Complete System
German adjective endings look like a jungle of tables, but there is a system behind them. Instead of memorising many different tables, this lesson shows you the concept: where the case, gender and number of a noun are shown, and what that means for the adjective ending. Then you can put together the endings yourself instead of guessing.
The Main Idea
Every noun phrase needs to show its case, gender and number once. In most cases the article does this job. If the article does not show it clearly, or if there is no article, then the adjective takes over. So the rule is simple:
- If the article already shows the case and gender clearly (der, dem, den, des ...), the adjective only needs a weak ending: -e or -en.
- If the article does not show it (ein in some forms, or no article at all), the adjective shows it and has a strong ending, like the ending of der / die / das.
Adjective Endings After the Definite Article (der, die, das)
| Case | masculine | feminine | neuter | plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der rote Wagen | die rote Tasche | das rote Auto | die roten Autos |
| Akkusativ | den roten Wagen | die rote Tasche | das rote Auto | die roten Autos |
| Dativ | dem roten Wagen | der roten Tasche | dem roten Auto | den roten Autos |
| Genitiv | des roten Wagens | der roten Tasche | des roten Autos | der roten Autos |
Here the article shows the case, so the adjective only has -e or -en. The ending is -e in the nominative singular (all genders) and in the accusative feminine and neuter. Everywhere else it is -en.
Adjective Endings After the Indefinite Article (ein, kein, mein ...)
| Case | masculine | feminine | neuter | plural (kein) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | ein roter Wagen | eine rote Tasche | ein rotes Auto | keine roten Autos |
| Akkusativ | einen roten Wagen | eine rote Tasche | ein rotes Auto | keine roten Autos |
| Dativ | einem roten Wagen | einer roten Tasche | einem roten Auto | keinen roten Autos |
| Genitiv | eines roten Wagens | einer roten Tasche | eines roten Autos | keiner roten Autos |
Look at the two places where ein does not show the gender: the masculine nominative (ein roter Wagen) and the neuter nominative and accusative (ein rotes Auto). There the adjective takes over and gets the strong ending -er or -es. Everywhere else the ending is the same as after der.
Adjective Endings Without an Article
| Case | masculine | feminine | neuter | plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | roter Wein | rote Milch | rotes Brot | rote Autos |
| Akkusativ | roten Wein | rote Milch | rotes Brot | rote Autos |
| Dativ | rotem Wein | roter Milch | rotem Brot | roten Autos |
| Genitiv | roten Weines | roter Milch | roten Brotes | roter Autos |
Without an article, the adjective does all the work. Its endings are almost exactly the endings of der / die / das: -er, -e, -es, -en, -em. The only exception is the genitive masculine and neuter, where the noun already shows the case with -(e)s, so the adjective has -en.
The Whole System in One Sentence
Find out if there is a clear signal in the article. If yes, use -e or -en. If not, the adjective gives the signal: use the ending that der / die / das would have. Most mistakes disappear when you follow this idea.
Learn It Case by Case
The video gives you the overview. For a slower start with more examples, watch the lessons for each case:
- German Adjective Endings in the Nominative Case
- German Adjective Endings in the Accusative Case
- German Adjective Endings in the Dative Case
- German Adjective Endings in the Genitive Case
For possessive and negative articles, see 2 rules that are often ignored: Adjektivdeklination B1.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do German adjectives have endings?
The ending shows the case, gender and number of the noun. In a noun phrase, this information has to appear once, either in the article or in the adjective.
When is the adjective ending -e or -en?
After the definite article (der, die, das) and after articles that already show the case clearly. The ending is -e in the nominative singular and in the accusative feminine and neuter, and -en everywhere else.
Which endings do I use without an article?
The endings of der / die / das: -er, -e, -es, -en, -em. The genitive masculine and neuter is the exception, with -en.
Why is it ein roter Wagen but der rote Wagen?
Ein does not show the masculine nominative, so the adjective takes over and gets -er. Der already shows it, so the adjective only needs -e.
Do I have to learn all the tables?
No. If you understand the system, you only need to know where the article gives a clear signal. The tables on this page are a good reference while you practise.
Want to practise adjective endings until they feel natural? Our B1 German course covers them with clear lessons and exercises.
