German adjectives change their ending depending on three things: the case (Nominativ, Akkusativ, Dativ, Genitiv), the gender of the noun (masculine, feminine, neuter, or plural), and — most importantly — what comes before the adjective. That last factor determines which of the three declension patterns you need: strong, weak, or mixed.
Here’s the quick version before we go deeper:
- Strong declension — no article before the adjective. The adjective itself shows the case and gender.
- Weak declension — a definite article (der, die, das…) before the adjective. The article already shows case/gender, so the adjective takes a simple ending.
- Mixed declension — an indefinite article (ein, eine…) before the adjective. A blend of the two: strong endings in some slots, weak in others.
Weak declension table (after der, die, das, dieser, jeder, welcher…)
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der gute Mann | die gute Frau | das gute Kind | die guten Männer |
| Akkusativ | den guten Mann | die gute Frau | das gute Kind | die guten Männer |
| Dativ | dem guten Mann | der guten Frau | dem guten Kind | den guten Männern |
| Genitiv | des guten Mannes | der guten Frau | des guten Kindes | der guten Männer |
Notice how simple this pattern is: almost everything is -en, except for three spots in the Nominativ/Akkusativ that take -e. This is the easiest of the three patterns to memorize.
Strong declension table (no article at all)
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | guter Wein | gute Milch | gutes Brot | gute Weine |
| Akkusativ | guten Wein | gute Milch | gutes Brot | gute Weine |
| Dativ | gutem Wein | guter Milch | gutem Brot | guten Weinen |
| Genitiv | guten Weines* | guter Milch | guten Brotes* | guter Weine |
*In the masculine and neuter Genitiv, the noun itself already ends in -s or -es (Weines, Brotes), so the adjective takes -en instead of the expected -es — this is a well-known exception worth memorizing separately.
Without an article, the adjective has to do all the work of signaling case and gender — which is why these endings closely mirror the endings of der/die/das themselves.
Mixed declension table (after ein, eine, kein, mein, dein…)
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | ein guter Mann | eine gute Frau | ein gutes Kind | keine guten Männer |
| Akkusativ | einen guten Mann | eine gute Frau | ein gutes Kind | keine guten Männer |
| Dativ | einem guten Mann | einer guten Frau | einem guten Kind | keinen guten Männern |
| Genitiv | eines guten Mannes | einer guten Frau | eines guten Kindes | keiner guten Männer |
The rule to remember: mixed declension uses strong endings only in three spots — masculine Nominativ, and neuter/feminine Nominativ and Akkusativ (the spots where ein has no ending of its own to show gender). Everywhere else, it behaves exactly like weak declension.
Since ein has no plural form, the plural of mixed declension only shows up with kein, mein, dein, and other ein-words that do have plurals — and in the plural, it simply follows the weak pattern.
How to know which pattern to use: a simple decision process
- Is there a definite article (der/die/das) or der-word (dieser, jeder, welcher, jener) before the adjective? → Use weak declension.
- Is there an indefinite article (ein/eine) or ein-word (kein, mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser, euer) before the adjective? → Use mixed declension.
- Is there no article at all? → Use strong declension.
This is really a question about the article, not the adjective — once you know which of the three categories the article belongs to, the adjective ending follows a fixed pattern.
For a broader explanation of how this fits into the German case system as a whole, see our guide on German cases explained with examples, and for how articles themselves change across cases, see adjective declension with definite vs. indefinite articles.
Common mistakes with adjective declension
- Using strong endings after an indefinite article. ein gutes Mann ❌ → ein guter Mann ✅ (masculine Nominativ needs -er, not -es)
- Forgetting that plural always uses -en, regardless of which declension type you’re in (except for a couple of strong-declension exceptions).
- Applying the same ending across all cases. German learners often default to -e for everything — but the ending changes with every case, every time.
For a longer list of the exact mistakes learners make most often — and how to fix each one — see common mistakes in German adjective declension.
FAQ
What is strong declension in German? Strong declension is used when there’s no article before the adjective. The adjective ending mirrors the ending that der/die/das would normally have, since there’s no article to signal the case and gender.
What is weak declension in German? Weak declension is used after a definite article (der, die, das) or der-word. Since the article already shows the case and gender, the adjective takes a simplified ending — mostly -e or -en.
What is mixed declension in German? Mixed declension is used after an indefinite article (ein, eine) or ein-word (kein, mein, dein…). It combines strong endings in the Nominativ and neuter/feminine Akkusativ with weak endings everywhere else.
Is German adjective declension hard to learn? It has three patterns to memorize, but each one follows a fixed, predictable table. Once you internalize the three tables above, the endings become automatic with practice rather than something you have to calculate each time.
Practice and go deeper
- German Adjective Declension Explained: The Complete Guide
- Adjektivdeklination: der/die/das Adjectives
- Adjective Declension with Definite vs. Indefinite Articles
- Common Mistakes in German Adjective Declension (and Fixes)
- How to Learn German Adjective Endings Fast
- Adjektivdeklination for A1–B1 Level: What You Must Know
You can also check the quick-reference Adjektivdeklination grammar page any time you need a fast lookup, or test your own sentences with the German grammar checker.
