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Adjective Endings: Nominative and Accusative in German

German adjectives change their endings based on the gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and number (singular, plural) of the noun, and the case (nominative, accusative, etc.). Nominative is used for the subject; accusative for the direct object. Mastering these endings is crucial for sounding fluent and natural in German speech and writing.

Short answer

In German, adjectives add endings that agree with the noun's gender, number, and case. Nominative is for subjects, accusative for objects. With the definite article (der, die, das), nominative endings are -e/-e/-e (sing.), accusative are -en/-e/-es (sing.).

Nominative vs. Accusative Adjective Endings (with definite article)

x: Gender & Number · y: Ending FormNominativeAccusative

Step-by-step worked examples

Fill in: Der _____ (red) Stuhl ist schön. Nominative masculine singular.

Subject (nominative) + masculine singular.
Ending: -e. Der rote Stuhl ist schön.

Fill in: Ich sehe den _____ (red) Stuhl. Accusative masculine singular.

Direct object (accusative) + masculine singular.
Ending: -en. Ich sehe den roten Stuhl.

Fill in: Das _____ (beautiful) Mädchen singt. Nominative neuter singular.

Subject (nominative) + neuter singular.
Ending: -e. Das schöne Mädchen singt.

Flashcards

Quick quiz

Q1.Der _____ (intelligent) Schüler. Which ending: -e or -en?

Correct answer: A. Nominative masculine singular takes -e: Der intelligente Schüler.

Q2.Ich sehe den _____ (tall) Mann. Which ending?

Correct answer: B. Accusative masculine singular takes -en: den talten Mann.

Q3.Die _____ (smart) Frau schreibt. Which ending?

Correct answer: A. Nominative feminine singular takes -e: Die smarte Frau.

Q4.Nominative and accusative plural adjective ending?

Correct answer: B. Plural (all cases) takes -en: die roten Autos, den roten Autos.

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Common mistakes

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Using the same ending for nominative and accusative masculine. — Correct: Masculine nominative = -e; masculine accusative = -en.

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Confusing gender endings with number. — Correct: Gender + case determine the ending; plural uses -en for nominative/accusative.

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Forgetting that neuter accusative mirrors nominative. — Correct: Neuter: nominative -es, accusative -es (same).

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Applying genitive/dative endings when not needed. — Correct: Only nominative/accusative covered here; genitive/dative are separate.

FAQ

What are adjective endings?

Suffixes added to adjectives to match the noun's gender, number, and case.

How many noun cases affect adjective endings?

Four: nominative, accusative, dative, genitive. Here we focus on nominative/accusative.

Nominative adjective ending for masculine singular?

-e. Der große Mann.

Accusative adjective ending for masculine singular?

-en. Den großen Mann. (Changes to object case.)