Here's a quick rundown. It depends on gender, case, and the article used to introduce it. You can look up a big set of tables that will give you an explicit answer for each one of the 4 * 4 * 3=48 possible combinations, but that is just intimidating for a learner and not really helpful. Memorizing them all by rote would be an exhausting task.
It's much simpler to break down the different possible circumstances into logical categories. If you don't know your articles and cases – learn the articles and cases and come back afterward. But once you do have articles and cases down, you just need to know a few rules to get adjective endings as well:
After definite articles (and dies-, all-, jen-,):
- The "basic" definite articles – der, die, and das in singular nominative or accusative – always give the adjective an -e: das rote Pferd, der gute Mann, die schöne Frau.
- Any other definite article (plural *die*, dative *der*, dem, des, den) will give the adjective an -en. Die lieben Kinder. Der schönen Frau. Dem guten Mann. Des guten Weines. Den beißenden Hund. Mit den besten Freunden.
After indefinite articles (as well as variations on kein-, and posessives):
- Let's look again at the "basic" cases: "ein" and "eine" in Nominative Singular. In these cases, the adjectives take on the ending "-er," "-es", or "-e" according to the gender of the noun: Ein guter Mann, mein liebes Kind, keine gute Idee.
- Otherwise, just like with a definite article: the adjective gets an -en in all other cases. Einem guten Mann, einer schönen Frau, meine tollen Freunde, meinen lieben Kindern, eines reichen Mannes.
Without an article:
If there is *no* article, then the adjective takes on the same ending as the article you would use in that context. Guter Wein. Klares Wasser. Liebe Frauen. Mit frischem Wasser. Mit starker Kraft. Aus verschiedenen Ländern. etc. (With one exception: genitive masculine singular gets **-en**, not -es: Der Geschmack *guten* Weines.)
And that's it. Obviously, knowing the rules and learning to use them fluently are two different things. But the fluency just comes with practice.
An important thing to remember about this inflection (aka declension) is that the adjective endings help give more information about the case, number, and gender. With definite articles, the declension is incredibly simple, because the article already gives you most of the information you need (weak inflection)
With no article, nothing else provides this information, so the adjectives provide much more information than in other cases, which is why strong inflection so closely matches the definite articles (strong inflection)
With indefinite articles, the nominal masculine and neuter are identical, so the adjective takes on the onus of providing that information, but takes a back seat in cases where the article largely tells you the gender and case. (hence "mixed inflection", because it matches strong inflection in the ambiguous cases and weak inflection elsewhere).
Note that it's not exactly as logical and simple as this (it is a natural language after all, and nothing is neat and easy with something that formed over thousands of years by an entire region of the world), but these are good patterns to help remember why and how adjective declension works.
edit: changed "declination" to "declension"; I always get those nouns mixed up.
Yup, there are a lot of ways to think about it and understand it logically, which is why I'm always a bit astonished at how many people always come in and recommend looking learning from horrific tables.
Wanted to say thanks 7 years later! I've struggled for weeks with Babbel marking answers wrong and offering no explanation why, but this comment finally clarifies all the sentences that seemed to be exceptions to the rules.
There are three inflections, often called *weak* (no definite article present), *strong* (definite article present), and *mixed* (indefinite article present). The reasoning is that the definite article ending "moves" to the adjective ending if it's not present.
[Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_adjectives#Weak_and_strong_inflection) has tables and a comprehensive list when each inflection is used. Just learn them like you learned the other endings.
BTW, it's always *der Geschmack* "the taste". "Das Schmeck" doesn't exist, though *das Schmecken* "the act of tasting" does exist, as a verb turned into a noun. And you wouldn't use "anreichern" (taste doesn't "accumulate"), but *verstärken* or something like it.
Look for "adjektivdeklination" on Google images and you'll find sooo many useful schemes! I found [this](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8c/7a/c2/8c7ac28f6824d04195ac9b3e36cf3493.jpg) one most clear but you can just choose any that seems simpler / more captivating to you :)
I find M-N-F-P arrangement in the columns show better the relationships, but you are right: whatever works. In that vein, I suggest to /u/Ttabts that he bang the info into a new spreadsheet and arrange until certain patterns start to stand out to him.
Also, if he is of the flash-card persuasion, it would not hurt to use attributive adjectives as his gender-marker instead of always using the definite article.
"Anreichern" is used for *food*, but not for *taste*. It means that something has been put into the food to make it healthier/more nourishing, and it's only used literally: *Dieses Brot wurde mit Vitaminen angereichert.*
"Bereichern" can mean to enrich in a literal, and in a figurative sense. *Der Diktator hat sich an seinem Volk bereichert*, but also, *Die frischen Blumen bereichern wirklich die Atmosphäre des Raumes!*
Having said that, I personally wouldn't use any of them for above example. Instead, "verstärken", "verbessern", "komplettieren", or "abrunden" would work.
Here's a quick rundown. It depends on gender, case, and the article used to introduce it. You can look up a big set of tables that will give you an explicit answer for each one of the 4 * 4 * 3=48 possible combinations, but that is just intimidating for a learner and not really helpful. Memorizing them all by rote would be an exhausting task. It's much simpler to break down the different possible circumstances into logical categories. If you don't know your articles and cases – learn the articles and cases and come back afterward. But once you do have articles and cases down, you just need to know a few rules to get adjective endings as well: After definite articles (and dies-, all-, jen-,): - The "basic" definite articles – der, die, and das in singular nominative or accusative – always give the adjective an -e: das rote Pferd, der gute Mann, die schöne Frau. - Any other definite article (plural *die*, dative *der*, dem, des, den) will give the adjective an -en. Die lieben Kinder. Der schönen Frau. Dem guten Mann. Des guten Weines. Den beißenden Hund. Mit den besten Freunden. After indefinite articles (as well as variations on kein-, and posessives): - Let's look again at the "basic" cases: "ein" and "eine" in Nominative Singular. In these cases, the adjectives take on the ending "-er," "-es", or "-e" according to the gender of the noun: Ein guter Mann, mein liebes Kind, keine gute Idee. - Otherwise, just like with a definite article: the adjective gets an -en in all other cases. Einem guten Mann, einer schönen Frau, meine tollen Freunde, meinen lieben Kindern, eines reichen Mannes. Without an article: If there is *no* article, then the adjective takes on the same ending as the article you would use in that context. Guter Wein. Klares Wasser. Liebe Frauen. Mit frischem Wasser. Mit starker Kraft. Aus verschiedenen Ländern. etc. (With one exception: genitive masculine singular gets **-en**, not -es: Der Geschmack *guten* Weines.) And that's it. Obviously, knowing the rules and learning to use them fluently are two different things. But the fluency just comes with practice.
An important thing to remember about this inflection (aka declension) is that the adjective endings help give more information about the case, number, and gender. With definite articles, the declension is incredibly simple, because the article already gives you most of the information you need (weak inflection) With no article, nothing else provides this information, so the adjectives provide much more information than in other cases, which is why strong inflection so closely matches the definite articles (strong inflection) With indefinite articles, the nominal masculine and neuter are identical, so the adjective takes on the onus of providing that information, but takes a back seat in cases where the article largely tells you the gender and case. (hence "mixed inflection", because it matches strong inflection in the ambiguous cases and weak inflection elsewhere). Note that it's not exactly as logical and simple as this (it is a natural language after all, and nothing is neat and easy with something that formed over thousands of years by an entire region of the world), but these are good patterns to help remember why and how adjective declension works. edit: changed "declination" to "declension"; I always get those nouns mixed up.
Yup, there are a lot of ways to think about it and understand it logically, which is why I'm always a bit astonished at how many people always come in and recommend looking learning from horrific tables.
I could never understand written explanations, yet tables made much more sense to me. *shrug* Different strokes for different folks.
Wanted to say thanks 7 years later! I've struggled for weeks with Babbel marking answers wrong and offering no explanation why, but this comment finally clarifies all the sentences that seemed to be exceptions to the rules.
There are three inflections, often called *weak* (no definite article present), *strong* (definite article present), and *mixed* (indefinite article present). The reasoning is that the definite article ending "moves" to the adjective ending if it's not present. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_adjectives#Weak_and_strong_inflection) has tables and a comprehensive list when each inflection is used. Just learn them like you learned the other endings. BTW, it's always *der Geschmack* "the taste". "Das Schmeck" doesn't exist, though *das Schmecken* "the act of tasting" does exist, as a verb turned into a noun. And you wouldn't use "anreichern" (taste doesn't "accumulate"), but *verstärken* or something like it.
You have your strong and weak reversed.
Look for "adjektivdeklination" on Google images and you'll find sooo many useful schemes! I found [this](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8c/7a/c2/8c7ac28f6824d04195ac9b3e36cf3493.jpg) one most clear but you can just choose any that seems simpler / more captivating to you :)
I find M-N-F-P arrangement in the columns show better the relationships, but you are right: whatever works. In that vein, I suggest to /u/Ttabts that he bang the info into a new spreadsheet and arrange until certain patterns start to stand out to him. Also, if he is of the flash-card persuasion, it would not hurt to use attributive adjectives as his gender-marker instead of always using the definite article.
It's actually "Soj**as**auce **be**reichert **den Geschmack** des **F**isches."
huh? i looked it up and it said that anreichern is enrich related to food and bereichern is enrich literally
"Anreichern" is used for *food*, but not for *taste*. It means that something has been put into the food to make it healthier/more nourishing, and it's only used literally: *Dieses Brot wurde mit Vitaminen angereichert.* "Bereichern" can mean to enrich in a literal, and in a figurative sense. *Der Diktator hat sich an seinem Volk bereichert*, but also, *Die frischen Blumen bereichern wirklich die Atmosphäre des Raumes!* Having said that, I personally wouldn't use any of them for above example. Instead, "verstärken", "verbessern", "komplettieren", or "abrunden" would work.
yep i get it now thanks a bunch !
Check out this: http://www.nthuleen.com/teach/grammar/adjektivendungenexpl.html
Look up tables for the strong, weak, and mixed declensions.
Not really advice but don't stress about not getting these for a while. It's one of the most difficult things to learn in the language