8.4.2.1: Adjectives overview
- Page ID
- 108493
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Adjectives:Adjektive
Adjectives describe nouns, and can either precede or follow the noun in German without affecting the meaning of the article. In German, just like English, adjectives can be graded to express comparisons between two (comparative) or more (comparative and superlative) things, places, people or thoughts. Unlike in English, however, adjectives that precede nouns take endings depending on the case, gender and number of that noun.
I. Before and after
Attributive adjectives
Adjectives that precede nouns (and most often come between an article and a noun) are called attributive adjectives.
| Es war einmal ein reicher Mann. | Once upon a time, there was a rich man. |
| Seine Frau rief ihre einzige Tochter zu sich ans Bett. | His wife called her only daughter to her bed. |
Predicate adjectives
Adjectives that follow nouns are usually separated by a verb such as sein, werden, heißen and are called predicate adjectives.
| Die Frau war leider sehr krank. | Unfortunately, the woman was very sick. |
| Sie sagte ihrer Tochter: Liebes Kind, sei fromm und gut! | She said to her daughter: Dear child, be pious and good! |
II. Comparisons
Comparative and superlative
Adjectives can be graded to express comparative and superlative qualities.
| Aschenputtels Leben wurde viel schlimmer, als sein Vater die andere Frau heiratete. | Cinderella's life became much worse when her father married the other woman. |
| Das arme Mädchen wurde jeden Tag immer trauriger. | The poor girl was sadder and sadder every day. |
| Als der Vater von einer Reise zurückkam, brachte er den Stiefschwestern die schönsten Kleider, Perlen und Edelsteine mit. | When the father returned from a trip, he brought the most beautiful clothes, pearls and gems for the two stepsisters. |
III. Adjective endings
Attributive adjectives (the ones preceding the noun they describe) can take three different types of endings, depending on what precedes them:
- adjectives preceded by definite articles or der-words take weak adjective endings
- adjectives preceded by indefinite articles or ein-words take strong adjective endings
- unpreceded adjectives take a different set of strong adjective endings
a) adjectives after definite articles or der-words
When an adjective comes between a definite article or der-word and the noun it modifies, it takes weak adjective endings (because the article already gives enough grammatical information to signal the noun's gender, case and number).
| Das kleine Aschenputtel wollte nur einen Zweig von einem Haselbusch; sie pflanzt den Zweig auf das Grab ihrer Mutter. | The little Cinderella wanted only a twig from a hazel bush; she plants the twig on the tomb of her mother. |
| Der schöne Baum ist der einzige Trost für das arme Mädchen. | The beautiful tree is the only consolation for the poor little girl. |
b) adjectives preceded by indefinite articles or ein-words
Adjectives that are preceded by an indefinite article (ein, eine, keine) or other ein-words (meine, deine, seine) receive strong endings because the article does not give enough grammatical information to signal the noun's gender, case and number.
| Ein weißes Vöglein kam jeden Tag zum Baum. | A white bird came to the tree every day. |
| Im Reich gab es einen alten König. | In the realm there was an old King. |
| Er arrangierte ein großes Fest für seinen Sohn, um für ihn eine Frau zu finden. | He arranged a large feast for his son, in order to find him a wife. |
c) unpreceded adjectives
Then there are some adjectives that are either not preceded by any determiners or are preceded by quantifiers such as many (viele), some (einige) or few (wenige). These adjectives take a different set of strong endings to compensate for the lacking grammatical information about the noun's gender, case and number.
| Viele schöne, junge Frauen im Lande wurden eingeladen. | Many beautiful young women in the kingdom were invited. |
| Aschenputtel durfte nicht auf das Fest gehen; sie hatte nur schmutzige und staubige Kleider. | Cinderella is not allowed to go to the feast; she only has dirty, dusty clothes. |
| Aber zwei weiße Täubchen kamen zu Aschenputtel und brachten ihm goldene und silberne Kleider, und es ging aufs Fest. | But two white turtle doves came to Cinderella and brought her golden and silver clothes, and Cinderella went to the feast. |
| Der Prinz verliebte sich in Aschenputtel und bestrich die Treppe mit klebrigem Pech, um das Mädchen bei sich zu behalten. | The prince fell in love with Cinderella, and covered the stairs with sticky tar, to keep the girl with him. |
| Aschenputtel lief weg, aber verlor ihren Schuh. Nach einigen falschen Versuchen findet der Prinz seine Braut und heiratet sie. | Cinderella ran away, but lost her shoe. After a few false attempts, the prince finds his bride and they marry. |
IV. No declension
There are a numbers of adjectives, mostly colors and foreign loan words, that do not take adjective endings. Interestingly, they also do not exist in comparative and superlative forms.
| beige | rosa | lila | happy | prima | super |
Common adjectives
| blau | blue (also: drunk) |
| rot | red |
| grün | green |
| orange | orange |
| lila | purple |
| schwarz | black |
| weiß | white |
| bunt, farbenfroh | colorful |
| schwarzweiß | black and white |
| dunkel | dark |
| stockdunkel | pitch dark/pitch-black |
| hell | bright |
| braun | brown |
| gelb | yellow |
| grau | gray |
| weit | far |
| entfernt | distant |
| weit entfernt | far away |
| nah | near |
| genau | exact |
| offen/geöffnet | open |
| zu/geschlossen | closed |
| lustig | funny |
| schön | beautiful |
| wunderschön | gorgeous |
| der/die/das allerschönste | the most beautiful |
| hübsch | pretty |
| übrig | left over/remaining |
| einfach | simple |
| richtig | right/correct |
| falsch | wrong/false |
| echt | real/true |
| derselbe | the same (one and the same) |
| dergleiche | the same (identical) |
| weitere | another |
| anderer/andere/anderes | another |
| fremd | foreign/strange/unfamiliar |
| neu | new |
| frei | free |
| kostenlos/kostenfrei | free/at no charge |
| toll | great |
| cool | cool |
| geil | cool (also: horny) |
| schick | cool/chic |
| früh | early |
| spät | late |
| alt | old |
| jung | young |
| knapp ('das war knapp!') | short ('that was close') |
| eng | narrow/tight (clothes) |
| kurz | short |
| lang | long |
| sauber | clear |
| dreckig | dirty/muddy |
| schmutzig | dirty |
| breit | wide |
| schnell | fast |
| blitzschnell | fast as lightning |
| langsam | slow |
| schleunig | speedy |
| steif | stiff |
| schwach | weak |
| stark | strong |
| dick | thick/fat |
| fett | fat |
| fettig | greasy |
| dünn | thin |
| schlank | slim |
| offen (zu) | honest (with) |
| intelligent | intelligent |
| schlau | sly/sharp |
| klug | smart |
| vernünftig | reasonable/sensible |
| dumm | stupid/dumb |
| blöd | foolish/stupid |
| doof | dumb |
| schüchtern | shy |
| oberflächlich | superficial |
| scheu | shy |
| interessant | interesting |
| schwul | gay |
| hetero(a) | straight |
| schwül | humid/stuffy |
| feucht | humid/moist |
| warm | warm |
| heiß | hot |
| kalt | cold |
| eiskalt | ice cold/freezing |
| eisig | icy/frosty |
| frisch | fresh (food)/cool (tempearture) |
| kühl | cool |
| neblig | foggy |
| regnerisch | rainy |
| reif | ripe (also: mature) |
| ausreichend | adequate/sufficient |
| genügend | adequate/sufficient |
| mangelhaft | inadequate/deficient |
| ausgezeichnet | excellent |
| gut | good |
| besser | better |
| der/die/das beste | the best |
| der/die/das allerbeste | the very best |
| gutaussehend | good-looking |
| feuerfest | fire-proof |
| Promi- | VIP |
| tapfer/mutig | brave |
| versehentlich | accidental |
| zuverlässig | reliable |
| zuversichtlich | confident |
| ruhig | calm/quiet |
| schweigsam | silent (person) |
| respektlos | disrespectful |
| brav | good (child, animal) |
| gemein | mean |
| fies | mean/nasty |
| mies | mean/nasty |
| schlecht | bad (also: sick) |
| schlimm | bad |
| übel | evil (also: sick) |
| böse | evil (also: angry, bad [child]) |
| zwanglos | casual/informal |
| formell | formal |
| sauer | sour (also: angry/bitter) |
| stocksauer | furious |
| wütend | angry |
| süß | sweet (food)/cute (person) |
| lieb | dear/sweet (person) |
| teuer | expensive |
| sauteuer | expensive as heck |
| billig | cheap |
| preiswert | inexpensive |
| zäh | tough |
| salzig | salty |
| scharf | spicy |
| lecker | tasty |
| köstlich | delicious |
| satt | full (having eaten enough) |
| krank | sick |
| grippig - 'Ich fühle mich grippig' | flu - 'I feel like I have the flu' |
| ansteckend | contagious |
| schwindlig | dizzy |
| wacklig | wobbly/(also: groggy) |
| schmerzhaft | painful |
| wund | sore |
| blind | blind |
| taub | deaf |
| behindert | disabled |
| gelähmt | paralyzed |
| stumm | mute |
| einfallsreich | imaginative/resourceful |
| freundlich | friendly |
| komisch | strange |
| witzig | funny |
| wettbewerbsfähig | competitive |
| kindisch | childish |
| empfindlich | sensitive (also: picky) |
| überempfindlich | hypersensitive |
| rücksichtsvoll | considerate |
| selbstbewusst | self-confident |
| selbstsicher | self-confident |
| aufmerksam | attentaive/observant |
| bekannt | well known |
| berühmt | famous |
| beliebt | popular |
| populär | popular |
| hochnäsig | snobby/snotty |
| gebildet | educated |
| verbildet | spoiled |
| eingebildet | conceited |
| unverschämt | imprudent/rude |
| beeindruckend | impressive |
| beeindruckt | impressed |
| besonders | special |
| groß | big |
| riesig | huge |
| klein | small |
| winzig | tiny |
| fabelhaft | wonderful |
| großartig | great/wonderful |
| stur | stubborn |
| eigensinnig | opinionated/obstinate |
| spießig | narrow-minded |
| aufgeschlossen | open-minded |
| frankiert | stamped (envelope) |
| gültig | valid |
| endgültig | final/definite |
| neugierig | curious |
| tief | deep |
| hoch | high |
| niedrig | low |
| laut | loud |
| leise | quiet |
| blass | pale |
| bleich | pale |
| besoffen | trashed/inebriated |
| betrunken | drunk |
| normal | normal |
| beschwipst | tipsy |
| nüchtern | sober |
| akzeptabel | acceptable |
| unangebracht | inappropriate |
| angenehm | pleasant |
| unangenehm | unpleasant |
| unaufgefordert | uninvited |
| fassungslos | stunned |
| kräftig | strong/hearty (meal) |
| schwervorstellbar | hard to imagine |
| hinter | back |
| leer | empty |
| voll | full (also: drunk) |
| fertig | finished/ready |
| bereit | ready |
| erfinderisch | inventive/innovative |
| originell | original/creative |
| original | original (the first one) |
| hart | hard/tough |
| schwer | heavy/difficult |
| schwierig | difficult |
| leicht | light/easy |
| einfach | simple |
| trocken | dry |
| nass | wet |
| tropfnass | dripping wet |
| pitschnass | soaking wet |
| klebrig | sticky |
| eklig | gross |
| ekelhaft | disgusting |
| glatt | smooth, slippery |
| rutschig | slippery |
| fließend | fluent |
| irre | crazy (slang) |
| verrückt | crazy |
| wach | awake |
| hellwach | wide awake |
| müde | tired |
| erschöpft | exhausted |
| glücklich | happy |
| froh | glad |
| traurig | sad |
| deprimiert | depressed |
| gespannt | anxious |
| angespannt | tense |
| besonder | special/exceptional |
| üblich | common |
| herzlich | sincere/cordial/hearty |
| seriös | serious |
| ernst/ernsthaft | serious |
| religiös | religious |
| weiter | further, another |
| nächster, nächste, nächstes | next, closest |
| sonstig | other/sundry |
| seltsam | strange |
| täglich | daily |
| heutig | today's |
| morgig | tomorrow's |
| gestrig | yesterday's |
| jetzig | current |
| örtlich | local |
| regional | regional |