Adjective declension in German plays a crucial role in indicating the gender, number, and case of nouns in a sentence. Understanding the various declension patterns—weak, strong, and mixed—is fundamental to mastering German grammar. Let's look into each of these declensions and explore their functions with examples.
Weak Declension
Weak declension is used when there is a definite article, a possessive pronoun, or a demonstrative pronoun before the adjective. In weak declension, the endings for adjectives are typically -e or -en, regardless of the gender, number, or case of the noun.
Examples of Weak Declension:
- Der alte Mann (The old man)
- Die weiße Katze (The white cat)
- Das große Haus (The big house)
- Meine alte Tasche (My old bag)
Strong Declension
Strong declension occurs when there is no preceding article, possessive pronoun, or demonstrative pronoun. In this case, the adjective takes different endings depending on the gender, number, and case of the noun it describes.
Examples of Strong Declension:
- Ein alter Mann (An old man)
- Großer Hund (Big dog)
- Kleines Kind (Small child)
- Schönes Auto (Beautiful car)
Mixed Declension
Mixed declension combines elements of both weak and strong declensions. It is used when there is an indefinite article or no article at all, but the noun is plural.
Examples of Mixed Declension:
- Einige alte Männer (Some old men)
- Viele kleine Kinder (Many small children)
- Wenige schöne Häuser (Few beautiful houses)
- Keine neuen Autos (No new cars)