GER-Niveau A2 • Adjektive

Adjektivdeklination: bestimmter Artikel

At CEFR level A2, you learn the weak adjective declension after definite articles (der, die, das) and similar determiners such as dieser, jeder, welcher, alle. Only two endings are needed: -e and -en.

Kernregel After a definite article (or dieser/jeder/welcher/alle), adjectives take -e in Nominativ singular (all genders) and Akkusativ feminine/neuter, and -en everywhere else.

Schwache Deklination: nach bestimmtem Artikel

After definite articles (der, die, das) and words like dieser, jeder, welcher, alle, the adjective only needs -e or -en.

Hinweis: Nominativ singular (all genders) + Akkusativ feminine/neuter → -e  |  everywhere else → -en
KasusMaskulinFemininNeutralPlural
Nom.der gutedie gutedas gutedie guten
Akk.den gutendie gutedas gutedie guten
Dat.dem gutender gutendem gutenden guten
Gen.des gutender gutendes gutender guten

Auch schwach: dieser, jeder, welcher, alle

WortBeispiel (Nom. m)Beispiel (Akk. m)
dieserdieser alte Baumdiesen alten Baum
jederjeder neue Tagjeden neuen Tag
welcherwelcher große Hund?welchen großen Hund?
allealle kleinen Kinder (Plural → immer -en)

Adjektiv ohne Endung

After sein, werden, bleiben (predicative use) → no ending:

Der Baum ist groß. — Das Wetter wird schön.

Aber: Der große Baum steht dort. (attributiv → Endung)

Häufig gestellte Fragen – FAQ

What endings do adjectives take after the definite article?

Only -e (Nominativ singular all genders + Akkusativ feminine/neuter) and -en (everywhere else). Example: der gute Mann (Nominativ), den guten Mann (Akkusativ).

Does the weak declension also apply after 'dieser' and 'jeder'?

Yes. Dieser, jeder, welcher, alle, beide signal gender and case just like the definite article, so the weak declension follows as well: dieser alte Baum.

When does an adjective get no ending at all?

When the adjective comes after the verb (predicative position) with sein, werden, or bleiben, it takes no ending: Der Kaffee ist heiß. Endings are only needed when the adjective stands before the noun (attributive position): der heiße Kaffee.

Why is it 'den guten Mann' but 'die gute Frau' in the Akkusativ?

In the Akkusativ, only masculine singular changes from -e to -en. Feminine and neuter keep -e because their definite articles (die, das) stay the same as in the Nominativ, so the adjective ending stays -e too.

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