In German, however, because of declensions, we can say all three of those sentences:ĭer nette Mann gibt dem traurigen Hund einen großen Knochen.ĭem traurigen Hund gibt der nette Mann einen großen Knochen.ĭen großen Knochen gibt der nette Mann dem traurigen Hund. Change the order like I did in those examples and the meaning of the sentence changes, too. Only the first sentence truly makes sense, right? That’s because, in English, we know who is who in a sentence because of rigid word order. The sad dog gives the kind man a big bone.Ī big bone gives the kind man the sad dog. The kind man gives the sad dog a big bone. They tell us, for example, who is the subject doing something to/for someone else.Ĭheck out these scrambled English sentences: German declensions or ‘endings’ on adjectives (and other words) tell us who is who in a sentence. But in German, those little endings we put on the tailends of adjectives tell us absolutely crucial information. No such thing as adjective endings (<– better word: declensions) exists in English. German is a different type of language from English. To an English speaker, all of the fiddly grammar details of German can seem so unnecessary. how to put the correct endings (declensions) on adjectives every single time*.the rhyme & reason behind them (In the following charts you can see how the German adjective endings are changing depending if you use a weak, strong or mixed adjective. It also effects the ending if you use a definite article, an indefinite article, a possessive pronouns, zero article or no article at all. The adjective endings are changing depending on the case and on the gender. These endings can change adjectives from being a word that describes something in general to being a word that describes a specific person, place or thing. The adjectives in German have four main endings: -e, -en, -er and -es. Adjectives are words that describe nouns, and when they have endings, it can make things even more difficult to remember if you don't know what the ending means. Mixed adjectives, which are called gemischte Adjektive in German, have both strong and weak forms based on context or placement in a sentence.Īdjective endings German can be a confusing part of the German language. These adjectives are not preceded by another word, but when they are they become the genitive form for that noun. Weak adjectives are called schwach in German. These adjectives don't change their form when they are preceded by another word. Strong adjectives are called stark in German. The following are the three types of German adjectives: German adjectives can be categorized as strong, weak, or mixed. You’ll learn what they mean, how they change the meaning of the word, and why you should care about them at all! No matter your level of German knowledge - this guide is for everyone.Īn adjective is a word that explains or changes a noun. This guide will help you identify and understand the adjective endings German. The grammar topics German adjectives, German cases and German articles are linked to each other so it is important to also know these topics. Understanding the German Adjective DeclinationĪdjective endings in German can be the most difficult to remember, so it’s important to learn them well.
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