Adjective Endings Flashcards
Adjectives without endings
Aller Anfang ist schwer.
Die Aufgaben wurden interessant aber schwierig
Every beginning is difficult.
The exercises became interesting but difficult
Note that uninflected adjectives and some adverbs are identical in
schnell as adjective: Der Wagen ist schnell.
ein schneller, fahrender Wagen.
schnell as adverb:Der Wagen fährt schnell.
The car is fast.
a fast, moving car
The car moves rapidly.
Adjectives with endings
politisches Theater
political theater
politisches Theater
political theater
das politische Theater
the political theater
Adjectives with endings
ein großer Dichter
a great poet
des politischen Theaters
of the political theater
deutsches Theater
German theater
schönes Mädchen
Beautiful girl
schöne Mädchen
beautiful girls
participle
The present participle in German functions primarily as a modifier.
der sterbende Wald
the dying forest
Present Participle
das fließende Wasser
the running water
Watch for words ending in -end (plus adjective ending). All German infinitives can be turned into a present participle, thus creating many forms that require a relative clause construction in English
Remember: nouns modified by a present participle are doing something. e.g.
das schlafende Kind
he sleeping child (the child who is sleeping)
When a noun is modified by a past participle, something has been done to the noun, or the past participle shows something that the noun has done. e.g.
das geschriebene Wort
the written word (the word that was written)
10.6 Infinitives Used as Nouns
Infinitives used as nouns are always neuter. English often uses a gerund (verb + -ing) in place of the German infinitive used as a noun.
e.g. In dieser Zeit blühte das Denken der Romantiker
In dieser Zeit blühte das Denken der Romantiker
The frequent combination zum + infinitive translates to for + verb + -ing
For learning one needs books. For understanding one needs
intelligence.
Zum Lernen braucht man Bücher. Zum Verstehen braucht man
Intelligenz.
For learning one needs books. For understanding one needs
intelligence.
Comparison of Adjectives
lang länger längst
long, longer, lognest
The superlative construction am -sten has no equivalent English structure. The expression am ältesten translates simply as the eldest. The am
-sten construction also occurs as an adverb, for example:
ie am wenigsten zahlreichen Länder
the least numerous nations
adjectives Umlauts
arm, ärmer, der/die/das ärmste;
am ärmsten
poor, poorer poorest
B. Gern(e), lieber, am liebsten
Gern is a common adverb that has no direct equivalent in English and
translates best as an indication of preference.
Er studiert gern Literatur. Ich studiere lieber Geschichte.
He likes to study literature. I prefer to study history
Unser Professor unterrichtet am liebsten Literaturgeschichte.
Our professor likes teaching literary history best.
The adverb gern can only modify a verb. The combination of gern
haben + a person or thing translates to like the person or thing.
Der Patient hat die Medizin nicht gern.
The patient doesn’t like the medicine
11.4 Special Uses of the Comparative and Superlative
A. Comparative Comparative followed by als
Der Mond ist kleiner als die Erde
The moon is smaller than the earth
Immer +comparative
immer besser
better and better, increasingly bette
Je 1 comparative … desto/je/umso 1 comparative
je mehr, desto besser can be translated as the more,
the merrier.
Superlative expression
äußerst langsam
höchstens
höchst lehrreich
in neuester Zeit
very (extremely) slow
at most, at best
very (most) instructive
most recently
meist, meistens
usually, as a rule
möglichst schnell
as fast as possible
wenigstens
at least
