German for Music Lovers

Strong Adjective Endings

Flow Chart of Adjective Endings

Strong Adjective Endings

The strong adjective endings are virtually the same as the "der"-word endings.

	MÄNNLICH	WEIBLICH	SÄCHLICH	MEHRZÄHLIG
NOMINATIV	der Wein guter Wein ein guter Wein	die Milch warme Milch	das Bier kaltes Bier ein kaltes Bier	die Obstsäfte frische Obstsäfte
AKKUSATIV	den Wein guten Wein	die Milch warme Milch	das Bier kaltes Bier ein kaltes Bier	die Obstsäfte frische Obstsäfte
DATIV	dem Wein gutem Wein	der Milch warmer Milch	dem Bier kaltem Bier	den Obstsäften frischen Obstsäften
GENITIV	des Weines ***guten Weines***	der Milch warmer Milch	des Bieres ***kalten Bieres***	der Obstsäfte frischer Obstsäfte

Compare the "der"-words and the "ein"-words." Mostly, their endings are identical, but the "der"-words provide a bit more information about case, because the masculine nominative and neuter nominative and accusative "ein"-words lack endings. This slight distinctive edge makes the "der"-word endings favored in German: they are the "strong" endings.

If a "der"-word ending does not precede the noun, the adjective takes it on: it uses a "strong" or "der"-word ending to provide as much information as possible about case, gender and number.

Notice that the genitive masculine and neuter "strong" endings in the chart *** are not identical with the "der"-word ending. This is easy to remember when you understand the logic of it: the "strong" ending is indeed present, as a suffix on the noun itself (Weines,Bieres) . Therefore, German uses the "weak" ending as is normal when the "strong" ending is already present.

The following flow chart illustrates when to use "strong" and when to use "weak" adjective endings. 

 

Practice using "strong" adjective endings.

 More practice with "strong" endings.

Index

©A. Campitelli; Greensboro, NC 1999-2001