Free taster
5 of 6 sections open
Adjektivendungen — The Endings That Show You Know German
🎨 Adjektivendungen — The Endings That Show You Know German
When an adjective comes BEFORE a noun in German, it takes an ending that depends on the gender, the case, and the article in front of it. It sounds fiddly, but a few clear patterns cover most cases — and getting these endings right is a real mark-winner across writing and speaking.
When does an adjective take an ending?
Adjective AFTER the verb (predicate) = NO ending:
Earn the mark scheme marks
💡 Exam Tips & Common Errors
- First ask: "Is the adjective before a noun?" If NO → no ending. If YES → check the article and the case.
- After der / die / das, the safe default ending is -e (nominative) or -en (most other cases).
- After an ein-word, let the adjective show the gender: -er, -e, -es in the nominative.
- Watch prepositions — mit, aus, bei trigger the dative, which usually means an -en ending.
❌ Common error: Der groß Mann ist hier.
✓ Correct: Der große Mann ist hier.
Why it costs marks: when an adjective comes before the noun (der ___ Mann), it must take an ending — here -e (nominative masculine after der). Leaving the adjective bare (groß Mann) is a common GCSE error that loses an AO2 mark. (Note: Der Mann ist groß — after the verb — correctly has NO ending.)