Learn German lesson 19: adjectives (grammar, words, exercises)

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Lesson 19: Adjectives

Brace yourself for the adjectives!

Adjectives are always about a noun. For example, the cat is nice. Or the nice cat. Nice says something about the cat.

In German, there are many adjectives, some of them are in the word list below. However, since you're already a bit acquainted with German, you know where we're heading... yes, cases. Let's start by the first situation out of three, which is the easiest one.

1) The adjective is not just before the noun. That's the case with 'to be'.

• Der Herr ist gut.

What do you do? There's no ending.

2) Option two: it gets complicated. The adjective is just before the noun. However, there is a word with an ending just before. What words? Well, an article like der, eines, or pronouns like meiner and ihres. Since there is already a word that indicates the gender, the adjective thinks it doesn't need to as well. So there's this conjugation:

• Nominativ: -e, -e, -e, -en (that's male, female, neutral and plural endings)
• Akkusativ: -en, -e, -e, -en
• Dativ: -en, -en, -en, -en

Some people see a little toothbrush with the -e's. It can help you remember where to put an e, and where to put an -en.

3) Option three: the adjective is just before the noun, but there is no word with an ending just before. Mein, kein, ein can be words just before in this option, since they don't have an ending. So in that case, a familiar scheme appears:

• Nominativ: -er, -e, -es, -e
• Akkusativ: -en, -e, -es, -e
• Dativ: -em, -er, -em, -en

Those look similar to the conjugations of the definite article. Mind as well that if you use two adjectives (e.g. (the) big and tall man), both will be conjugated the same way. Let's see some adjectives to make the exercises.

Words

Exercises

Translate the following words (N=Nominativ, A=Akkusativ, D=Dativ):

1. A possible question (N)
2. The good day (A)
3. My difficult name (D)
4. The important man (N)
5. A long year (A)
6. A new student (D, male)

_________________________

Solutions

1. Eine mögliche Frage
2. Den guten Tag
3. Meiner schwierigen Name
4. Der wichtige Mann
5. Ein langes Jahr
6. Einer neuen Student

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Previous lesson: Prepositions