A2 Grammar · Unit 12 · Topic 37 of 46

Adjective Endings without an Article

About 3 minutes · examples, common mistakes, Hindi help and practice with answers

In short

With no article, the adjective takes the ending the article would have had.

Zimmer mit großem Balkon · Hotel mit kostenlosem WLAN

Without any article (common in adverts, menus and with plurals), the adjective takes the endings of der, die, das itself.

How it works

  • The adjective shows the case: frischer Kaffee, frische Milch, frisches Brot.
  • Dative: mit großem Balkon, mit kostenlosem WLAN, mit frischer Milch.
  • Plural: neue Schuhe, mit neuen Schuhen.
der (m)die (f)das (n)Plural
Nom.heißer Teekalte Milchfrisches Brotalte Bücher
Akk.heißen Teekalte Milchfrisches Brotalte Bücher
Dat.mit heißem Teemit kalter Milchmit frischem Brotmit alten Büchern

Examples

  • Zimmer mit großem Balkon zu vermieten. (Room with a large balcony to let.)
  • Hotel mit kostenlosem WLAN. (Hotel with free Wi-Fi.)
  • Ich trinke gern heißen Tee. (I like drinking hot tea.)
  • Frische Mangos aus Indien! (Fresh mangoes from India!)

हिंदीArticle न हो तो adjective ख़ुद article वाली ending ले लेता है: mit großem Balkon (dem → -em)।

Adjective endings in three tables

German adjective ending tables after der, after ein and without an article

Swipe the picture sideways to see all of it →

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 -en in the dative singular: ✗ mit großen Balkon ✓ mit großem Balkon

Practice

Add the ending.

  1. Wohnung mit schön___ Garten
  2. Ich esse gern scharf___ Essen.
  3. Kaffee mit warm___ Milch
  4. Wir suchen nett___ Kollegen.
Show answers

Answers: 1. schönem 2. scharfes 3. warmer 4. nette

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