German Adjective Endings & Declension
Weak, mixed and strong adjective declension, comparison, and participles used as adjectives — the endings that trip up every learner.
When an adjective stands in front of a noun in German it takes an ending, and that ending depends on three things at once: the gender and case of the noun, and whether a *der*-word, an *ein*-word or no article comes before it. These guides break the system into the weak, mixed and strong declension patterns so the endings stop feeling random.
German Adjective Endings: Weak, Strong & Mixed Declension
German adjective endings explained: weak, strong, and mixed declension after der, ein, or no article. A2 reference tables, common mistakes, and practice.
German Comparative Adjective Endings: Attributive Declension
German comparative adjective endings explained: how comparative declension stacks -er + weak or mixed endings, with der ältere Mann tables and B1 practice.
German Nominalized Adjectives: Der Deutsche, ein Deutscher
German nominalized adjectives explained: der Deutsche vs ein Deutscher, weak vs mixed endings, etwas Neues, nichts Gutes — B1 reference with practice.
German Participles as Adjectives: Partizip I & II
German participles as adjectives: form Partizip I (lachende Kinder) and Partizip II (gekochtes Ei) and add adjective endings. B1 reference with practice.
German Strong Adjective Declension: Endings Table
German strong adjective declension explained: full endings table for kalter Kaffee, kalte Milch, kaltes Bier across all cases — B1 reference with practice.
Frequently asked questions
Why do German adjectives have endings?
Adjective endings carry the same gender and case information as the article. When the article already shows that information clearly, the adjective takes a 'weak' ending (usually -e or -en); when the article is missing or vague, the adjective takes a 'strong' ending that does the marking instead.
What are the weak, mixed and strong declensions?
Weak endings follow a definite article (der, die, das); mixed endings follow an ein-word (ein, kein, mein); strong endings are used when there's no article at all. Which table applies is decided entirely by the word in front of the adjective.
Do adjectives after 'sein' (to be) take endings?
No. A predicate adjective — one that comes after verbs like sein, werden or bleiben (Das Auto ist neu) — stays in its base form with no ending. Endings only appear when the adjective stands directly before the noun it describes.
How do I form comparatives like 'bigger' and 'biggest'?
Add -er for the comparative (schnell → schneller) and am …-sten or der/die/das …-ste for the superlative (am schnellsten, der schnellste). Many short adjectives also add an umlaut (alt → älter → am ältesten). Before a noun the compared adjective still takes its normal declension ending.