Ich habe einen interessanten Film gesehen.
English: I saw an interesting film.
- Language
- German
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Nominal- und Adjektivstrukturen
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Adjective declension after an indefinite article in German means changing the ending of an adjective that comes after words like 'ein', 'kein', or possessive pronouns (mein, dein, etc.), depending on the gender, case, and number of the noun.
When to use it
Use this when you have an indefinite article (ein, kein) or possessive pronoun (mein, dein, sein, etc.) before a noun and an adjective. The adjective's ending changes based on the gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), case (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive), and whether the noun is singular or plural.
Key forms
- ein neuer Tisch (Nominative, masculine)
- eine schöne Lampe (Nominative, feminine)
- ein großes Haus (Nominative, neuter)
- keinen alten Stuhl (Accusative, masculine)
Examples
Sie kauft eine rote Jacke.
English: She buys a red jacket.
Wir wohnen in einem kleinen Haus.
English: We live in a small house.
Er sucht eine gute Idee.
English: He is looking for a good idea.
Tips
- Remember: The adjective ending after 'ein' is not always the same as after 'der'.
- Pay attention to the gender and case of the noun to pick the correct adjective ending.
- After 'kein' or possessive pronouns (mein, dein, etc.), use the same adjective endings as after 'ein'.
Exceptions and edge cases
- In the plural, 'ein' does not exist, but 'keine' and possessive pronouns do. The adjective endings in plural are always '-en' in accusative, dative, and genitive.