German Adjective Endings and Colors
German adjectives change their ending when they stand before a noun, but not when they come after sein. You do not need every rule at A1. Start with the nominative case and the most common patterns.
Adjectives after sein have no ending
When the adjective comes after the verb, it stays unchanged: Das Auto ist rot. Die Blumen sind schön. Der Tee ist heiß.
Adjectives before a noun
Before a noun the adjective takes an ending that depends on the article. After der, die or das in the nominative, the ending is -e for every singular noun, and -en in the plural.
| Gender | Example with the | Example with a |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | der rote Tisch | ein roter Tisch |
| Feminine | die rote Lampe | eine rote Lampe |
| Neuter | das rote Buch | ein rotes Buch |
| Plural | die roten Bücher | rote Bücher |
The accusative masculine
When a masculine noun is the direct object, the adjective ending becomes -en: Ich sehe den roten Tisch. Ich kaufe einen roten Pullover. The other genders keep the same ending as in the nominative.
Colors
rot (red), blau (blue), grün (green), gelb (yellow), schwarz (black), weiß (white), braun (brown), grau (grey), orange (orange), rosa (pink) and lila (purple). The last three, orange, rosa and lila, usually do not take endings: ein rosa Kleid.
Common mistakes
- Adding an ending after sein. Say Das Haus ist groß, not Das Haus ist großes.
- Forgetting that ein has no ending in masculine and neuter, so the adjective shows the gender: ein roter Tisch, ein rotes Buch.
- Writing weiss in German. The correct spelling is weiß.
Practice
Describe five things in your room with a color and an adjective, using both the and a, for example: Das ist ein blaues Buch. Das ist die blaue Tasche.
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