Declination of adjectives in German

Declination of adjectives in German seemsvery difficult. Particularly affected by those who studied English: in it, as we know, adjectives are not inclined at all. However, if you compare German with the Russian, it turns out that everything is not so scary.

In Russian, the declension of adjectivesis carried out in three main types, the former having three more varieties: a hard, soft and mixed variant of declination. The latter has three more types, depending on the last consonant in the root.

A detailed introduction to the rules of the Russian languagehelps most language learners faster and easier to understand the German declension of adjectives. German language after such an acquaintance seems simpler and more understandable, and even sympathy for those who are forced to teach this "terrible" Russian.

There is one fundamental difference: if in the Russian language the declension of adjectives depends on the word itself (from its kind, number and case), then in German, in addition, also from the article, which, as is known, has no analogues in Russian.

The declension of German adjectives can be divided into three types:

1. Weak - it is really "weak", the form of the adjective almost does not change. This declension is applied after a definite article-the article changes fundamentally.
2. Strong declination - after an indefinite article and pronouns, meaning some kind of "uncertainty".
3. Mixed declension - if the article is missing.

Here we consider the weak declension of adjectives

His rules are quite simple. As you can see in the table, most adjectives get the ending -en, the rest end in -e. This type of declination is inherent only in the adjectives, which are used after:

• The definite article (der, die, das).
• After pronouns that are similara certain artist: diser (this), jener (that), jeder (everyone), welcher, solcher, mancher, derselbe (the same), derjenige (the same). Of course, these demonstrative pronouns also vary by birth. Here they are all given in a masculine gender.

Studying this information, pay attention to howthe endings of certain articles and nouns change. As you can see, declining adjectives is the easiest to remember. Another important point is the column "Plural". In this number, according to the weak type, adjectives tend, which stand after the following words:

• The definite article (der, die, das).
• The same pronouns as mentioned above, andsome others. Of course, these plural pronouns will have other forms: diese, jede, welche, alle, beide, solche, manche, dieselben, most), diejenigen (the same ones), sämtliche (all).
• And also (pay attention!) after the pronoun kein and such as mein (mine), unser (our), and other possessive pronouns. Here arises a natural question about how the adjectives are inclined in the singular after such pronouns? For example, how will meine schöne Frau (my beautiful woman) in the dative case? We answer: in any directory, look at the table of mixed declension, because after these pronouns adjectives in units of. number tend to be of a mixed type.

  	m. genus	f. clan	cf. clan	Multiple number
  N	Der alte Mann	Die schöne Frau	Das neue Haus	Die breiten Fenster
  G	Des alten Mannes	Der schönen Frau	Des neuen Hauses	Der breiten Fenster
  D	Dem alten Mann	Der schönen Frau	Dem neuen Haus	Den breiten Fenstern
  A	Den alten Mann	Die schöne Frau	Das neue Haus	Die breiten Fenster

After that, in any German directory look at the other tables:

1. Declension of adjectives in the singular in the absence of the article (strong declination).
2. Table declination of adjectives in the singular after an indefinite article (mixed declination).
3. It is also worthwhile to look separately at declinationadjectives in the plural, although it can also refer to the two types already mentioned: the weak and the strong. After the indefinite (weak declension - we have already brought it in the table) and a definite article (strong declination).
4. Declension of substantivized adjectives.

Note that in declensionsadjectives are regularities: somewhere, one way or another, there must be an end to a definite article. In the table above, the adjective already has a definite article. Consequently, the adjectives no longer need their endings, so the rules of weak declension are so simple. Conversely, with strong declination, when there is no article in front of the adjectives, the endings of adjectives change like the endings of a definite article.

And some tips how to remember these dry tables:

1. Learn in detail the declension of the definite article.
2. Read this article and view the tables inguide carefully once and pass the test - on the Internet they are enough. After you perform or do not complete assignments for the correct form of the adjective, you will feel the need to remember it all, and also you will know where to study the declension of the adjectives more closely. The secret of any effective learning: first the problem, then its solution. And not vice versa.
3. Take the artistic text in German. It can be any text on an interesting topic with a parallel translation. Try to make yourself all the declination tables, and then compare them with the directory. It will take time, but after that, most likely, you will not even need to look at the directory at all, in order to clarify how an adjective leans.
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