A2.4 - At the airport and in the plane

Adjectives: „den/die/das“ + accusative, „dem/der“ + dative

Adjektive:„den/die/das" +Akkusativ, „dem/der"

Verwendung von Adjektiven nach bestimmten, unbestimmten oder ohne Artikel, z.B. „blau, wichtig, schnell, alt".

(Use of adjectives after definite articles, indefinite articles, or with no article, e.g. „blau, wichtig, schnell, alt".)

What to watch: the article tells you the case

  • Akkusativ often answers: Who/what is directly affected?
  • Dativ often answers: To/for whom? (the receiver/beneficiary)

In German, the article is your fastest case signal: den/die/das (acc.) vs dem/der (dat.).

The core pattern: article + adjective ending + noun

Once you know the article, the adjective ending is usually predictable.

Accusative article Adjective ending Example
den (masc.) -en Ich kontrolliere den neuen Reisepass.
die (fem.) -e Sie zeigt die wichtige Sicherheitskontrolle.
das (neut.) -e Wir buchen das bequeme Flugzeug.
Dative article Adjective ending Example
dem (masc./neut.) -en Ich zeige dem freundlichen Mitarbeiter die Unterlagen.
der (fem.) -en Wir helfen der freundlichen Passagierin.

No article: the adjective must show the case more clearly

If there is no article, German needs another signal. The adjective often carries it.

  • Dative plural without article is very common: adjective gets -en.

Example: Er hilft kleinen Kindern am Flughafen.

A practical shortcut: 2 endings cover most of what you see here

  • -e after die (accusative) and das (accusative)
  • -en after den (accusative) and after dem/der (dative)

If you’re unsure, ask yourself: Is there a dative article (dem/der)? Then you almost always need -en.

Self-check: find the case before you choose the ending

  1. Find the verb: What is happening?
  2. Ask 2 questions:
    • Who/what? = often Akkusativ
    • To/for whom? = often Dativ
  3. Look at the article:
    • den/die/das → accusative pattern
    • dem/der → dative pattern
  4. Then add the adjective ending that fits that article.

Typical mistakes (and how to fix them fast)

  • Mistake: mixing up person (often dative) and thing (often accusative).

    Ich zeige den freundlichen Mitarbeiter den Reisepass. → Ich zeige dem freundlichen Mitarbeiter den Reisepass.

  • Mistake: forgetting -en after dative articles.

    Wir helfen der freundliche Passagierin. → Wir helfen der freundlichen Passagierin.

  • Mistake: no article, but using a “weak” ending anyway.

    Er hilft kleine Kindern. → Er hilft kleinen Kindern.

What you should be able to do now

  • Spot accusative vs dative quickly using the article.
  • Use the correct adjective endings in these key patterns:
    • den + -en
    • die/das + -e
    • dem/der + -en
    • (no article) dative plural + -en
  1. The article shows the case (accusative or dative).
  2. The adjective follows the article and takes the correct ending.
  3. Without an article, the adjective has to do the “work” and clearly show the ending.
Artikel & Fall (Article & case)Beispiel (Example)
den + AkkusativIch kontrolliere den neuen Reisepass. (I check the new passport.)
die + AkkusativSie zeigt die wichtige Sicherheitskontrolle. (She shows the important security check.)
das + AkkusativWir buchen das bequeme Flugzeug. (We book the comfortable plane.)
dem + DativIch zeige dem freundlichen Mitarbeiter die Unterlagen. (I show the documents to the friendly employee.)
der + DativWir helfen der freundlichen Passagierin. (We help the friendly (female) passenger.)
ohne Artikel + DativEr hilft kleinen Kindern am Flughafen. (He helps small children at the airport.)

 

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

1. Bitte zeigen Sie mir den ______ Reisepass.

Please show me the ______ passport.

2. Ich habe die ______ Bordkarte auf dem Handy.

I have the ______ boarding pass on my phone.

3. Wir geben dem ______ Mitarbeiter das Ticket.

We give the ticket to the ______ employee.

4. Ich helfe der ______ Passagierin bei der Sicherheitskontrolle.

I help the ______ passenger at the security checkpoint.

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the grammatically correct phrase.

1.
Incorrect: After the dative article “dem”, the adjective must take “-en”: dem freundlichen Mitarbeiter.
Incorrect: Here the person is in the dative (to show someone something), therefore not “den” but “dem”.
2.
Incorrect: “Gate” is neuter, therefore not “den”; moreover, the article ending does not match the noun (das richtige Gate).
Incorrect: The position of the correct answer varies – here this form is correct (das richtige Gate), but for practice the student is supposed to choose the correct option.

Exercise 3: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite the sentences with the appropriate article (accusative or dative) and insert the correct adjective ending.

Show/Hide translation Show/Hide hints
  1. Hint Hint (den + neu) Ich kontrolliere Reisepass.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Ich kontrolliere den neuen Reisepass.
    (I check the new passport.)
  2. Hint Hint (die + wichtig) Sie zeigt Sicherheitskontrolle.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Sie zeigt die wichtige Sicherheitskontrolle.
    (She shows the important security check.)
  3. Hint Hint (das + bequem) Wir buchen Flugzeug.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Wir buchen das bequeme Flugzeug.
    (We book the comfortable airplane.)
  4. Hint Hint (dem + freundlich) Ich zeige Mitarbeiter die Unterlagen.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Ich zeige dem freundlichen Mitarbeiter die Unterlagen.
    (I show the friendly employee the documents.)

Exercise 4: Grammar in action

Instruction: Plays employee and passenger: solves a problem before the flight.

Show/Hide translation
Situation
Am Flughafen hilft ein Mitarbeiter dir vor dem Abflug beim Check-in.
(At the airport, an employee helps you with check-in before departure.)
Discuss
  • Welche Unterlagen kontrolliert der Mitarbeiter und warum? (Which documents does the employee check and why?)
  • Wem zeigst du den neuen Reisepass und das Ticket am Check-in? Beschreibe kurz das Gespräch. (Who do you show the new passport and the ticket to at check-in? Briefly describe the conversation.)
Useful words and phrases
  • Ich kontrolliere den neuen Reisepass. (I check the new passport.)
  • Ich gebe dem freundlichen Mitarbeiter das Ticket. (I give the ticket to the friendly employee.)
  • Die wichtige Sicherheitskontrolle dauert länger. (The important security check takes longer.)
Use in conversation
  • den/die/das + Adjektiv im Akkusativ (den/die/das + adjective in the accusative)
  • dem/der + Adjektiv im Dativ (dem/der + adjective in the dative)
  • ohne Artikel + Adjektiv im Dativ (without an article + adjective in the dative)

Written by

This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Louis Fernando Hess

Bachelor of Science - Intercultural Business Psychology

Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences

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Germany


Last Updated:

Sunday, 19/04/2026 09:58