The Endings of Declined Adjectives

There are three declension systems in German, Type I, stark (strong), Type II, schwach (weak), and Type III, gemischt (mixed). Each system declines in 3 genders and plural. The following tables are different from those in many American grammar books, which tabulate only endings. We tabulate here Satzteil examples consisting of, at least, preposition + adjective + noun, which can thus be easily memorized and are of practical use. We indicate the adjective endings by hyphenating them to the word root. Each governing preposition example used is shown in parentheses.

 

 Type I, Strong Declension
 

Usage, wher hyphen is placeholder for a possible ending or construct,

 

wher no article is used (e.g. frisches Brot; roter Wein);

After manch-, solch-, viel-, welch-; (all declined like dieser - see demonstrative pronouns)

After wenig-, mehrer-, all-; (each declined in parallel - see below: Parallel Declension)

After etwas, mehr;

After endingless number adjectives (e.g. für zwei kleine Katzen);

After personal pronouns other than mir, dir, ihm.

Examples:

 

Ich altes Kamel; du kleiner Junge.

Durch wenigen, guten Ruf besitzt er kein Vertrauen. (Akk. of wenig, Akk., Maskulinum)

Wegen solches guten Rufs besitzt er das Vertrauen. (Gen. of solch, Gen., Mask.)

Aufgrund wenigen, anfänglichen Versagens hat man nun neu begonnen. (Gen., Neutr., parallel)