A2 Grammar · Unit 10 · Topic 30 of 46
Adjective Endings after der, die, das
About 3 minutes · examples, common mistakes, Hindi help and practice with answers
In short
After the definite article the ending is mostly -e or -en, because the article already shows the gender.
der rote Koffer · Ich nehme den blauen Pullover. · mit dem neuen Handy
After der, die, das (and dieser, jeder, welcher), the article already shows the gender, so the adjective ending is simple: -e or -en.
How it works
- -e in five places: nominative singular (all genders) and accusative feminine and neuter.
- -en everywhere else: masculine accusative, all datives, all plurals.
| der (m) | die (f) | das (n) | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | der rote Koffer | die rote Tasche | das rote Auto | die roten Schuhe |
| Akk. | den roten Koffer | die rote Tasche | das rote Auto | die roten Schuhe |
| Dat. | dem roten Koffer | der roten Tasche | dem roten Auto | den roten Schuhen |
Examples
- Der rote Koffer gehört mir. (The red suitcase is mine.)
- Ich nehme den blauen Pullover. (I'll take the blue jumper.)
- Sie telefoniert mit dem neuen Handy. (She's phoning with the new phone.)
- Die alten Fotos sind wunderschön. (The old photos are beautiful.)
हिंदीder/die/das के बाद ending ज़्यादातर -e या -en होती है, क्योंकि article पहले ही gender बता देता है।
Adjective endings in three tables
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The ending depends on what comes before the adjective. After der, die and das the article already shows the gender, so the ending is mostly -e or -en. After ein the adjective has to show the gender itself in three places (-er, -es, -es). With no article at all, the adjective takes the ending that der or dem would have had.
Ending इस पर निर्भर करती है कि adjective से पहले क्या है। der, die, das के बाद article पहले ही gender बता देता है, इसलिए ending ज़्यादातर -e या -en होती है। ein के बाद तीन जगह adjective को ख़ुद gender दिखाना पड़ता है (-er, -es, -es)। Article न हो तो adjective वही ending लेता है जो der या dem की होती।
Common mistakes
Using ein-endings after der: ✗ der roter Koffer ✓ der rote Koffer
Practice
Add the ending.
- Ich kaufe den grün___ Rock.
- Die klein___ Kinder spielen.
- Wir wohnen in dem gelb___ Haus.
- Das neu___ Restaurant ist gut.
Show answers
Answers: 1. grünen 2. kleinen 3. gelben 4. neue