Language/German/Grammar/Descriptive-Adjectives

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German Grammar → Adjectives → Descriptive Adjectives

As a German language teacher with 20 years of experience, I am excited to teach you about descriptive adjectives in German grammar. Adjectives are used to describe people, objects, and situations, and they add color and depth to language. By learning how to use adjectives properly, you will be able to express yourself more effectively in German.

Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: Two Way Prepositions & Present Tense.

Descriptive Adjectives

Descriptive adjectives are used to provide more specific information about a noun or pronoun. They describe features like size, color, shape, and texture. In German, adjectives come before the noun they describe and agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun. For example, in the sentence "Der blaue Himmel" (the blue sky), "blau" (blue) is the descriptive adjective that agrees with the masculine noun "Himmel" (sky) in the nominative case.

To form a descriptive adjective in German, simply add "-e" to the end of the stem word. For example, "schnell" (fast) becomes "schnelle" for the feminine singular form. The adjective endings can be a little tricky, so it's important to study them closely. Here are some examples of descriptive adjectives with their respective genders and endings:

German	Pronunciation	English
großer	['ɡroː.sɐ]	big (masculine singular)
große	['ɡroː.sə]	big (feminine singular)
großes	['ɡroː.səs]	big (neuter singular)
große	['ɡroː.sə]	big (plural)

Notice that in the plural form, the adjective ending is "-en" instead of "-e". This is the case for all genders in the plural form.

Here are some more examples of descriptive adjectives in German:

• Das kleine Mädchen (the small girl)
• Der runde Tisch (the round table)
• Die leckere Pizza (the delicious pizza)
• Die heißen Sommertage (the hot summer days)

Comparative and Superlative Forms

Just like in English, German adjectives have comparative and superlative forms to compare different degrees of quality or quantity. To form the comparative, add "-er" to the end of the adjective, and to form the superlative, add "-ste". Here are some examples:

German	Pronunciation	English
höher	['høː.ɐ]	higher
am höchsten	[am 'høːçs.tən]	highest
länger	['lɛŋɐ]	longer
am längsten	[am 'lɛŋs.tən]	longest

It's important to note that some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms. Here are some examples:

• gut (good) --> besser (better) --> am besten (best)
• viel (much/many) --> mehr (more) --> am meisten (most)
• wenig (little/few) --> weniger (less) --> am wenigsten (least)

Conclusion

Descriptive adjectives are important to make your German speech more colorful and nuanced. By learning the proper adjective endings and comparative/superlative forms, you can accurately express your thoughts and emotions. Keep practicing, and soon you'll be speaking German like a pro!

Sources

• 100 of the Best German Adjectives for Any Place & Time
• German Adjective Endings | Lingvist

Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: Definite Articles in German & Using Prepositions.

Table of Contents - German Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Basic Sentence Structures

• Subject and Verb
• Noun and Gender

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Greetings and Introduction

• Greetings and Goodbyes
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Definite and Indefinite Articles

• Gender and Articles
• Plural Forms
• Cases: Nominative and Accusative

  ---

Numbers, Dates and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Days of the Week and Months
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Conjugation

• Verb Forms
• Present Tense
• Separable Verbs

  ---

Family and Friends

• Family Members
• Talking About Your Friends

  ---

Prepositions

• Using Prepositions
• Two-Way Prepositions

  ---

Food and Drinks

• Food and Meals
• Drinks and Beverages

  ---

Germany and German-Speaking Countries

• Geography and Landmarks
• Cuisine and Traditions

  ---

Pronouns and Possessives

• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

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Travel and Transportation

• Booking a Trip
• Public Transportation

  ---

Modal Verbs

• Expressing Abilities
• Talking About Obligations

  ---

Shopping and Clothes

• Shopping for Clothes
• Buying Groceries

  ---

Music and Entertainment

• Popular Musicians and Genres
• Movies, TV and Literature

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Adjectives

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Forms

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Health and Body

• Talking About Health
• Body Parts

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Time and Temporal Prepositions

• Using Time Expressions
• Temporal Prepositions

Other Lessons

• Noun and Gender
• Two Way Prepositions
• Prepositions
• How to Use be
• Temporal Prepositions
• Possessive Case in German
• Plurals
• Give your Opinion
• Verb Forms

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