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German Adjectives: Agreement and Comparison

In German, adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in terms of case, gender, and number. This agreement is achieved through specific adjective endings, which are determined by the type of article (definite or indefinite) preceding the noun and the noun's case, gender, and number.

Adjective Endings:

• After the definite article (der, die, das), adjectives take the following endings:

  • Nominative: -e (der große Hund)
  • Accusative: -en (die kleine Katze)
  • Dative: -en (dem alten Mann)
  • Genitive: -en (des neuen Hauses)

• After the indefinite article (ein, eine), adjectives take the following endings:

  • Nominative: -er (ein großer Hund)
  • Accusative: -en (eine kleine Katze)
  • Dative: -en (einem alten Mann)
  • Genitive: -en (eines neuen Hauses)

Degrees of Comparison:

German adjectives have three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative.

1. Positive: The base form of the adjective (groß, klein, alt).

2. Comparative: Formed by adding -er to the stem of the adjective (größer, kleiner, älter). If the adjective ends in certain consonant clusters, an umlaut may be added (jung → jünger).

3. Superlative: Formed by adding -(e)st to the stem of the adjective (größt, kleinst, ältst). If the adjective ends in certain consonant clusters, an umlaut may be added (jung → jüngst).

Irregular forms exist for some common adjectives:

• gut (good) → besser (better) → best (best)
• viel (much/many) → mehr (more) → meist (most)
• gern (gladly) → lieber (rather) → am liebsten (most preferred)

Proper adjective agreement and accurate use of comparative forms are essential for effective communication in German.