Adjektiv

Adjektiv, in German grammar, is a word class that describes or modifies a noun by indicating its properties, such as color, size, or origin. Adjectives express quality and must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case when they appear before the noun (attributive use). They can also function predicatively after a linking verb, such as sein or werden, where they generally do not inflect for case.

Adjectives in German have two main functional positions. Attributive adjectives appear directly before the noun (for example, der gute Mann, eine schöne Blume) and take inflected endings that reflect the noun’s gender, number, and case. Predicative adjectives follow a linking verb (Der Mann ist groß) and normally remain in their base form, not showing article-based endings.

Declension of adjectives in German falls into three patterns: weak, strong, and mixed. Weak declension occurs after definite articles or words that clearly mark gender and number (der gute Mann, die guten Kinder). Strong declension occurs when there is no article or no information about gender or case (große Häuser, großer Mann). Mixed declension occurs after indefinite articles or possessives (ein guter Mann, meine schöne Frau). The endings vary by case, gender, and number in each pattern.

Adjectives also form comparisons: positive (groß), comparative (größer), and superlative (am größten or größter). They can be used as nouns when substantivized (das Gute, das Schlechte) and may function as adverbs in certain contexts without additional inflection.

Overall, Adjektiv serves to describe nouns, with inflection governed by the article or determiner and by syntactic position within the sentence.