361 adjectives

German Adjectives: B1 List with Endings and Declension

German adjectives at the B1 level let you describe people, opinions, and situations with much more nuance. Many B1 adjectives are abstract (wichtig, möglich, verantwortlich) and appear in opinions and arguments. They also change their endings depending on the noun's gender, case, and article. This German adjectives list covers common B1-level descriptive words with their English meanings, comparative and superlative forms, and example sentences.

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total

total, complete, absolute

Comparative:

—

Superlative:

—

Synonyms:

gänzlich, vollständig, absolut

Antonyms:

teilweise, unvollständig

berühmt

famous

Comparative:

berühmter

Superlative:

am berühmtesten

Synonyms:

bekannt

Antonyms:

unbekannt

“Der Sänger ist berühmt.”

The singer is famous.

waagerecht

horizontal

Comparative:

—

Superlative:

—

Synonyms:

horizontal

Antonyms:

senkrecht

untersagt

forbidden, prohibited

Comparative:

—

Superlative:

—

Synonyms:

verboten, unzulässig

Antonyms:

erlaubt, gestattet

nass

wet

Comparative:

nasser

Superlative:

am nassesten

Synonyms:

feucht

Antonyms:

trocken

“Mein Hemd ist nass.”

My shirt is wet.

tolerant

tolerant, open-minded

Comparative:

toleranter

Superlative:

am tolerantesten

Synonyms:

aufgeschlossen, verständnisvoll

Antonyms:

intolerant, engstirnig

erschöpft

exhausted, worn out

Comparative:

—

Superlative:

—

Synonyms:

müde, kraftlos

Antonyms:

fit, ausgeruht

traurig

sad, unhappy

Comparative:

trauriger

Superlative:

am traurigsten

Synonyms:

betrübt, niedergeschlagen

Antonyms:

fröhlich, glücklich

fertig

finished, ready

Comparative:

fertiger

Superlative:

am fertigsten

Synonyms:

bereit

Antonyms:

unfertig

“Ich bin fertig.”

I am finished.

aufmerksam

attentive, alert, observant

Comparative:

aufmerksamer

Superlative:

am aufmerksamsten

Synonyms:

wachsam, achtsam

Antonyms:

unaufmerksam, abgelenkt

spät

late

Comparative:

später

Superlative:

am spätesten

Synonyms:

verspätet

Antonyms:

früh

“Ich komme heute spät nach Hause.”

I am coming home late today.

bequem

comfortable

Comparative:

bequemer

Superlative:

am bequemsten

Synonyms:

gemütlich

Antonyms:

unbequem

“Der Stuhl ist bequem.”

The chair is comfortable.

schlecht

bad

Comparative:

schlechter

Superlative:

am schlechtesten

Synonyms:

mies

Antonyms:

gut

“Der Kaffee schmeckt schlecht.”

The coffee tastes bad.

ausreichend

sufficient, adequate

Comparative:

—

Superlative:

—

Synonyms:

genügend

Antonyms:

unzureichend

beliebt

popular

Comparative:

beliebter

Superlative:

am beliebtesten

Synonyms:

geschätzt

Antonyms:

unbeliebt

“Das Café ist sehr beliebt.”

The café is very popular.

knapp

scarce, tight, barely sufficient

Comparative:

knapper

Superlative:

am knappsten

Synonyms:

gering, spärlich

Antonyms:

reichlich, ausreichend

sympathisch

likable

Comparative:

sympathischer

Superlative:

am sympathischsten

Synonyms:

nett

Antonyms:

unsympathisch

“Der Lehrer ist sympathisch.”

The teacher is friendly.

durstig

thirsty

Comparative:

durstiger

Superlative:

am durstigsten

Synonyms:

ausgetrocknet

Antonyms:

satt

glatt

smooth, slippery

Comparative:

glatter

Superlative:

am glattesten

Synonyms:

eben, rutschig

Antonyms:

rau, uneben

berufstätig

employed, working

Comparative:

—

Superlative:

—

Synonyms:

erwerbstätig

Antonyms:

arbeitslos

tief

deep, low

Comparative:

tiefer

Superlative:

am tiefsten

Synonyms:

niedrig

Antonyms:

hoch

reif

ripe, mature

Comparative:

reifer

Superlative:

am reifsten

Synonyms:

ausgereift, fertig

Antonyms:

unreif

ärgerlich

annoying, irritating, angry

Comparative:

ärgerlicher

Superlative:

am ärgerlichsten

Synonyms:

verärgert, genervt

Antonyms:

erfreulich, angenehm

gültig

valid

Comparative:

gültiger

Superlative:

am gültigsten

Synonyms:

aktuell

Antonyms:

ungültig

“Die Fahrkarte ist heute gültig.”

The ticket is valid today.

technisch

technical

Comparative:

—

Superlative:

—

Synonyms:

fachlich, technologisch

bunt

colorful

Comparative:

bunter

Superlative:

am buntesten

Synonyms:

farbig

Antonyms:

farblos

“Die Blumen sind bunt.”

The flowers are colorful.

falsch

false, wrong

Comparative:

falscher

Superlative:

am falschsten

Synonyms:

unrichtig

Antonyms:

richtig, korrekt

“Der Preis ist falsch.”

The price is wrong.

modern

Comparative:

moderner

Superlative:

am modernsten

Synonyms:

zeitgemäß

Antonyms:

altmodisch

“Das moderne Haus ist sehr hell.”

The modern house is very bright.

schwierig

difficult

Comparative:

schwieriger

Superlative:

am schwierigsten

Synonyms:

schwer

Antonyms:

einfach

“Die Aufgabe ist schwierig.”

The task is difficult.

öffentlich

public, open

Comparative:

öffentlicher

Superlative:

am öffentlichsten

Synonyms:

allgemein, publik

Antonyms:

privat

ausgezeichnet

excellent, outstanding

Comparative:

—

Superlative:

—

Synonyms:

hervorragend, exzellent

Antonyms:

schlecht

haltbar

durable, long-lasting, perishable (negated)

Comparative:

haltbarer

Superlative:

am haltbarsten

Synonyms:

beständig, langlebig

Antonyms:

vergänglich, zerbrechlich

glücklich

happy

Comparative:

glücklicher

Superlative:

am glücklichsten

Synonyms:

froh

Antonyms:

traurig

“Ich bin heute glücklich.”

I am happy today.

fest

firm, solid, fixed

Comparative:

fester

Superlative:

am festesten

Synonyms:

stabil, stark

Antonyms:

locker, weich

lustig

funny

Comparative:

lustiger

Superlative:

am lustigsten

Synonyms:

witzig

Antonyms:

ernst

“Der Film ist lustig.”

The movie is funny.

erfolgreich

successful

Comparative:

erfolgreicher

Superlative:

am erfolgreichsten

Synonyms:

siegreich, glücklich

Antonyms:

erfolgslos, vergeblich

geheim

secret, hidden

Comparative:

geheimer

Superlative:

am geheimsten

Synonyms:

verborgen, versteckt

Antonyms:

offen, öffentlich

digital

Comparative:

—

Superlative:

—

schmal

narrow, slim

Comparative:

schmaler

Superlative:

am schmalsten

Synonyms:

eng, dünn

Antonyms:

breit, weit

schlank

slim, slender, lean

Comparative:

schlanker

Superlative:

am schlanksten

Synonyms:

dünn, zierlich

Antonyms:

dick, kräftig

klar

clear, ready

Comparative:

klarer

Superlative:

am klarsten

Synonyms:

deutlich

Antonyms:

unklar

“Alles ist jetzt klar.”

Everything is clear now.

kurz

short

Comparative:

kürzer

Superlative:

am kürzesten

Synonyms:

knapp

Antonyms:

lang

“Der Film ist kurz.”

The movie is short.

merkwürdig

strange, odd, peculiar

Comparative:

merkwürdiger

Superlative:

am merkwürdigsten

Synonyms:

seltsam, eigenartig

Antonyms:

normal, gewöhnlich

heimlich

secret, furtive, covert

Comparative:

heimlicher

Superlative:

am heimlichsten

Synonyms:

geheim, verborgen

Antonyms:

offen, offiziell

sauber

clean

Comparative:

sauberer

Superlative:

am saubersten

Synonyms:

rein

Antonyms:

schmutzig

“Das Zimmer ist sauber.”

The room is clean.

niedrig

low

Comparative:

niedriger

Superlative:

am niedrigsten

Synonyms:

gering, klein

Antonyms:

hoch

einverstanden

agreeable, in agreement, okay with

Comparative:

—

Superlative:

—

Synonyms:

zustimmend

Antonyms:

dagegen, ablehnend

steil

steep

Comparative:

steiler

Superlative:

am steilsten

Synonyms:

abschüssig, steilwandig

Antonyms:

flach, eben

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Practice with Games

Word Match Grid

Tap matching German and English tiles in a single grid to clear the board. Beat the clock across rounds that get faster each time!

Artikel Drop

Catch falling German nouns by sending them to the right gate (der, die, or das) before they land. Fast arcade-style artikel practice that speeds up as you play

Der, Die, Das Rules

Pick der, die, or das for each noun and learn the rule behind it, including suffixes like -ung and -chen plus meaning groups like days, months, and materials

German Time Expressions Game

Fill in the correct time preposition (um, am, im, in der, or none) and learn the rule behind each answer with instant explanations

German Past Tense (Partizip II) Practice

Type the Partizip II (past participle) for each German verb and pick the correct auxiliary (haben or sein) for the Perfekt tense

German to English Sentence

Read a German sentence and type its English translation. Practise reading comprehension at A1 or A2 level.

German Sentence Order

Click word tiles to arrange them into a correct German sentence. Great for practising word order at A1 or A2 level.

Dativ Prepositions Game

Fill in the correct preposition or article for Wohin?, Wo?, Woher? sentences. Learn Dativ with cities, buildings, shops, and more

Verb Conjugation Full Table

Fill in the complete conjugation table for German verbs, all six person forms at once for deeper practice

Guess the Word from Image

Look at an image and pick the correct German noun with its artikel, across animals and food & drink categories

True or False (Nouns)

See a noun + artikel, plural or mixed statement and decide if it is correct or false. Fast-paced, mobile-friendly noun validation practice.

Word Salad Game (Buchstabensalat)

Unscramble the jumbled letters to find the German word! A fun word puzzle game to test your vocabulary.

Word Matching Game

Match English words with German translations! Two modes: Classic (complete rounds) and Continuous (endless matching)

Word Guessing Game

Guess German words letter by letter (hangman style)! Games continue until you lose, and you accumulate points for each word

English Verbs to German

See an English verb meaning and type the German infinitive form. Reverse translation practice

Guess the Verb (Multiple Choice)

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German Verbs to English

See a German verb and type its English meaning. Perfect for building vocabulary

Verb Conjugation (Multiple Choice)

Click the correct conjugation for German verbs. Mobile-friendly multiple choice version

Verb Conjugation

Practice conjugating German verbs in present tense for the persons that change: ich, du, er/sie/es, ihr

German Noun Plurals

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English Nouns to German

See an English word and type the German translation with its artikel

Guess the Word (Multiple Choice)

See a German noun and click the correct English meaning. Mobile-friendly multiple choice game

Guess the Word

Translate German nouns to English. See a German word with its article and type the English meaning

Guess the Artikel

Master German artikels (der, die, das) by guessing the correct artikel for each noun

Example Sentences

Das ist ein wichtiges Thema für die Gesellschaft.

That is an important topic for society.

Eine umweltfreundliche Lösung wäre besser.

An environmentally friendly solution would be better.

Er ist für das Projekt verantwortlich.

He is responsible for the project.

Diese Möglichkeit erscheint mir sinnvoll.

This possibility seems sensible to me.

Die Lage ist komplizierter als gedacht.

The situation is more complicated than expected.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do German adjective endings work?

German adjective endings change based on three factors: the gender of the noun (masculine, feminine, neuter), the grammatical case (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive), and whether a definite article (der/die/das), indefinite article (ein/eine), or no article is used. For example, "ein wichtiges Thema" (nominative) but "über ein wichtiges Thema" (accusative). At the B1 level these patterns should become more automatic.

What is German adjective declension?

Adjective declension is the system of changing adjective endings to match the noun they describe. German has three declension patterns: strong (no article), weak (after definite articles like der/die/das), and mixed (after indefinite articles like ein/eine). At the B1 level, you are expected to use all three patterns across the four German cases with growing confidence.

What kinds of adjectives appear at the B1 level?

B1 adjectives include more abstract and evaluative words such as wichtig (important), möglich (possible), nötig (necessary), verantwortlich (responsible), and umweltfreundlich (environmentally friendly). These adjectives are useful for giving opinions and building arguments, which is a core skill at the B1 level.

How do comparative and superlative work in German?

German comparatives add -er to the adjective (wichtig → wichtiger), and superlatives add -st or -est (wichtig → am wichtigsten). Many common adjectives also add an umlaut: groß → größer → am größten. A few adjectives are irregular, like gut → besser → am besten. The comparative and superlative forms also take adjective endings when placed before a noun.

How is the B1 adjective list different from A2?

A2 adjectives focus on describing concrete things: size, colour, quality, and basic feelings. B1 adjectives add abstract and evaluative words that you need to express opinions, weigh advantages and disadvantages, and discuss society and the environment. Practicing adjective declension with these B1 words prepares you for the discussion and writing tasks on the Goethe B1 exam.

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Goethe A2 Adjectives

Review the A2 adjective list if you need to revisit the basics

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Goethe B1 Nouns

B1-level nouns with articles and plural forms

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Goethe B1 Verbs

B1-level verbs including reflexive and prepositional verbs

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