A German adjective endings game that explains every answer
In German, an adjective before a noun takes an ending, and the ending changes with the article, the gender of the noun, and the case. This is why klein (small) appears as der kleine Hund, ein kleiner Hund, and mit dem kleinen Hund. In this game you read a German sentence and pick the ending. After every answer, the game explains the ending in three steps, so you practice the reasoning and do not need to memorize a chart.
How to play
- Choose a round of 10, 20, or 30 questions.
- Read the German sentence. The adjective has a gap where its ending should be.
- Pick -e, -en, -er, -es, or -em. On a keyboard, press 1 to 5.
- If you do not know the gender of the noun, press "Show the gender of the noun" to see the noun with its article.
- Read the explanation: the gender of the noun, the case and the reason for it, and the rule for the ending.
- At the end, you see every sentence from the round with your answer and the rule it belongs to.
The three questions behind every ending
Every explanation in the game answers the same three questions. You can ask them yourself for any German sentence.
- What is the gender of the noun? Der Pullover is masculine, die Stadt is feminine, and das Haus is neuter.
- What is the case? The subject is in the Nominativ, the direct object is in the Akkusativ, and prepositions like mit always take the Dativ.
- What does the article look like? If the article already shows the gender and the case, the adjective takes a small ending, -e or -en. If it does not, or if there is no article, the adjective must show them.
The seven rules in this game
Each question belongs to one of seven rules. A round mixes all of them, in the Nominativ, the Akkusativ, and the Dativ.
- der, die, das in the basic form: -e, for example der kleine Hund, die neue Lehrerin, das alte Haus.
- The article changed its form: -en, for example den roten Pullover, mit dem neuen Auto, in einer kleinen Stadt.
- Plural with an article: -en, for example die kleinen Kinder, meine neuen Schuhe, mit den alten Freunden.
- ein without an ending (masculine): -er, for example ein guter Film, mein alter Computer, kein schlechter Plan.
- ein without an ending (neuter): -es, for example ein schönes Haus, unser neues Auto, kein billiges Hotel.
- eine, keine, meine (feminine): -e, for example eine gute Idee, meine neue Wohnung, keine kleine Stadt.
- No article: the ending of the missing article, for example kalter Kaffee (der), frische Milch (die), frisches Brot (das), mit warmem Wasser (dem).
Our guide to German adjective endings explains every rule with charts and more examples. If the gender of the noun is the hard part, practice it with the Der, Die, Das Rules game. For comparative and superlative forms such as besser and am besten, play Comparison Drop.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are German adjective endings?
When a German adjective stands before a noun, it takes an ending: -e, -en, -er, -es, or -em. The ending depends on three things: the article before the adjective, the gender of the noun, and the case. For example, "klein" becomes "der kleine Hund", "ein kleiner Hund", and "mit dem kleinen Hund". This topic is also called German adjective declension.
When does a German adjective take an ending?
Only when it stands before a noun, as in "ein kleiner Hund" (a small dog). After the verb sein (to be), the adjective has no ending: "Der Hund ist klein." (The dog is small.) Every sentence in this game has the adjective before a noun.
Why do so many German adjectives end in -en?
Because -en covers the most situations. After an article, the adjective takes -en in the whole Dativ, in the whole plural, and for masculine nouns in the Akkusativ. The game picks questions so that every rule appears about equally often. This keeps -en from being the answer most of the time.
What is the difference between "der kleine Hund" and "ein kleiner Hund"?
Der already shows that the noun is masculine, so the adjective only adds -e. Ein does not show the gender, because it looks the same before masculine and neuter nouns. The adjective must show it, so it takes the -er of der.
Does the game use the terms weak, strong, and mixed declension?
No. Many grammar books sort the endings into three tables: weak (after der, die, das), mixed (after ein, kein, mein), and strong (no article). The game teaches the same endings as seven short rules, and each rule has a plain name, such as "The article changed its form".
Which cases does the game cover?
Nominativ, Akkusativ, and Dativ, with der words, ein words, and phrases with no article. The Genitiv is not in the game.
What level is this game for?
Adjective endings are usually an A2 topic. You should already know the gender of common nouns and the basics of the Akkusativ and the Dativ. If the cases are new for you, read our guide to German cases first.
Is the German Adjective Endings game free?
Yes. The game is free and works in the browser on phones and computers. You do not need an account. If you sign in, your best score and stats are saved.
