Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn how adjectives agree with nouns in the nominative case using definite (der, die, das) and indefinite (ein, eine, ein) articles. Practice key examples like der große Mann, eine große Frau, and das kleine Kind to master adjective endings.
  1. The adjective is placed between the article and the noun.
  2. It takes an ending – depending on the article, gender, and number.
  3. After "der/die/das" and "ein/eine/ein," the ending looks different.
Beispielnomen (Example noun)Mit bestimmtem Artikel (With definite article)Mit unbestimmtem Artikel (With indefinite article)
der Mannder große Mann 🔊ein großer Mann 🔊
die Fraudie große Frau 🔊eine große Frau 🔊
das Kinddas große Kind 🔊ein großes Kind 🔊
die Kinderdie großen Kinder 🔊— große Kinder 🔊

Exercise 1: Adjektive im Nominativ mit bestimmten & unbestimmten Artikeln

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

kleiner, hässliche, kurzen, blonden, kleine, dünne, große, lange

1. Kurz:
Die ... Haare stehen ihr gut.
(The short hair suits her well.)
2. Dünn:
Die ... Katze heißt Fred.
(The thin cat is called Fred.)
3. Klein:
Ein ... Hund gefällt mir gut.
(I like a small dog.)
4. Hässlich:
Das ... Bild habe ich gemalt.
(I painted the ugly picture.)
5. Blond:
Die ... Locken sind sehr schön.
(The blond curls are very beautiful.)
6. Groß:
Die ... Frau heißt Anna.
(The tall woman is called Anna.)
7. Lang:
Mir gefällt der ... Bart besser.
(I prefer the long beard.)
8. Klein:
Der ... Junge macht ein Foto.
(The little boy is taking a photo.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Der ____ Mann hat braune Haare.

(The ____ man has brown hair.)

2. Eine ____ Frau wartet an der Haltestelle.

(A ____ woman is waiting at the bus stop.)

3. Das ____ Kind spielt im Park.

(The ____ child is playing in the park.)

4. Ich sehe den ____ Mann im Büro.

(I see the ____ man in the office.)

5. Wir treffen ____ Leute auf der Party.

(We meet ____ people at the party.)

6. Ein ____ Freund besucht mich heute.

(An ____ friend is visiting me today.)

Understanding Adjectives in the Nominative Case with Definite and Indefinite Articles

This lesson focuses on how adjectives change when used with nouns in the nominative case in German, especially when combined with definite (bestimmter) and indefinite (unbestimmter) articles. The nominative case is used to indicate the subject of a sentence.

Key Concepts

  • Adjective Agreement: Adjectives in German agree in gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), number (singular, plural), and case with the noun they describe.
  • Position of Adjective: The adjective is placed between the article and the noun.
  • Adjective Endings: Depending on whether a definite article (der, die, das) or an indefinite article (ein, eine) is used, the adjective takes different endings.

Examples of Adjective Endings with Articles

Example NounWith Definite ArticleWith Indefinite Article
der Mannder große Mannein großer Mann
die Fraudie große Fraueine große Frau
das Kinddas große Kindein großes Kind
die Kinderdie großen Kinder– große Kinder

Summary of Adjective Endings

  • With definite articles (der, die, das), adjectives get endings like -e or -en depending on gender and number.
  • With indefinite articles (ein, eine), adjective endings vary more and reflect gender and case specifically, e.g. -er for masculine, -e for feminine, and -es for neuter singular nouns.
  • Plural nouns with indefinite article often omit the article but use adjective endings accordingly.

Contrast with English

Unlike English, where adjectives remain unchanged regardless of the noun's gender or number (e.g., "a big man," "a big woman"), German adjectives change their endings to agree with the noun and its article. For example, "der große Mann" vs. "ein großer Mann." This makes it essential to learn and recognize these adjective endings to build grammatically correct sentences.

Useful Phrases and Translations

  • der große Mann — the tall/big man
  • eine große Frau — a tall/big woman
  • das kleine Kind — the small child
  • ein kleiner Freund — a small/young friend

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Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 16:47