German adjective endings

Practise German adjective endings after der and ein, and without an article. Compare nominative, accusative and dative examples, then check five answers.

Prepared by Deutsch Schreiben with AI assistance; original learning material. · 31 October 2026

Choose the ending in three steps

For an adjective before a noun, identify the noun’s gender and number, its case, and the article before it. Compare der kleine Hund, ein kleiner Hund and kleiner Hund. The article and adjective work together to mark the noun phrase.

After a definite article, adjectives usually have -e or -en. After ein, the adjective must sometimes show information the article does not: ein kleiner Hund, ein kleines Kind. With no article, the adjective carries more of this information: mit kaltem Wasser.

Useful patterns with singular nouns

Kasus	der/die/das	ein/eine	Ø
Nominativ · m.	der kleine Hund	ein kleiner Hund	kleiner Hund
Akkusativ · m.	den kleinen Hund	einen kleinen Hund	kleinen Hund
Nominativ · n.	das kleine Kind	ein kleines Kind	kleines Kind
Dativ · f.	mit der kleinen Tasche	mit einer kleinen Tasche	mit kleiner Tasche

This is a starter table, not the whole declension system. Plurals and genitives also need practice. Learn each phrase in a complete sentence, so the case has a reason.

Before a noun or after sein?

Compare Das ist ein kleines Zimmer. and Das Zimmer ist klein. The adjective before the noun takes an ending. The predicate adjective after sein does not.

Check the case first

Ich sehe einen kleinen Hund. The dog is the direct object, so this is masculine accusative. In mit einem kleinen Hund, mit requires the dative. Do not choose an ending from the noun’s gender alone.

Five exercises with explanations

Type only the missing word, then check your answer. You can open each explanation without an account.

1Das ist ein ___ Hund. (klein)

Answer and explanation

kleiner — Masculine nominative after ein needs -er on the adjective.

2Ich sehe den ___ Hund. (klein)

Answer and explanation

kleinen — After den in masculine accusative, the adjective ends in -en.

3Sie wohnt in einer ___ Wohnung. (klein)

Answer and explanation

kleinen — Location with in is dative here; after einer the adjective takes -en.

4Wir trinken ___ Wasser. (kalt)

Answer and explanation

kaltes — Without an article, neuter accusative needs -es on the adjective.

5Das Zimmer ist ___. (klein)

Answer and explanation

klein — A predicate adjective after ist has no declension ending.

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Grammar references (examples and exercises are original): IDS: Starke und schwache Adjektivflexion

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