the secret of the german language lesson 5: ive got a secret for you: were about half way through!...

The Secret of the German Language

• Lesson 5:• I’ve got a secret for you:• We’re about half way through!• That means that soon you will earn your

German case merit badge.

The Secret of the German Language

• Today we add some real spice:• Adjective endings.• In your preliminary notes, add the following

crooked line. Get it exact!

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

The Secret of the German Language

• The line deals with adjectives that come between the “der word” and the noun.

• Quite simply if the noun in its case is above the crooked line, you add –e to the adjective.

• If the noun in its case is below the line, you add –en to the adjective.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

So we have a sentence like:Der Mann ist hier.Do you see that we are on the R of RESE?That’s above the crooked line

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

If I want to add the adjective groß between the article and the noun, I add –e to groß according to the crooked line.Der große Mann ist hier.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

The same thing goes with:Die Frau ist hier.

Die große Frau ist hier.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

The same thing goes with:Das Kind ist hier.

Das große Kind ist hier.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

But you see that the plural is below the line. Therefore with a sentence like:Die Kinder sind hier.You now have to add an –en to the adjective between the article and noun.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Therefore it looks like this:

Die großen Kinder sind hier.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

This works for all of the cases. Just follow where the line is. Notice these examples of the accusative case:

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Ich sehe den großen Mann.Ich sehe die große Frau.Ich sehe das große Kind.Ich sehe die großen Kinder.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

As you can see, all of the dative and genitive cases are below the line. Therefore adjectives between the article and noun will always have an –en.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Ich gebe dem großen Mann einen Apfel.Ich gebe der großen Frau einen Apfel.Ich gebe dem großen Kind einen Apfel.Ich gebe den großen Kindern einen Apfel.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Der Apfel des großen Mannes ist hier.Der Apfel der großen Frau ist hier.Der Apfel des großen Kindes ist hier.Der Apfel der großen Kinder ist hier.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

So try a couple of samples:

Dies__ alt__ Frau ist böse.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Did you get it straight? Here’s the answer:

Diese alte Frau ist böse.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

How about this one?

Welch__ klein__ Mädchen meinst du?

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Tricky! Mädchen was accusative and neuter.

Welches kleine Mädchen meinst du?

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Here’s a really tough one:

Dies__ nett__ Lehrer gibt d__ schön__ Lehrerin solch__ groß__ Geschenk.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Kudos if you got this:

Dieser nette Lehrer gibt der schönen Lehrerin solches große Geschenk.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

One more:

D__ faul__ Hund dies__ faul__ Mann__ ist in der Nähe.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

I hope you weren’t too lazy to figure out that the genitive was needed:

Der faule Hund dieses faulen Mannes ist in der Nähe.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Now let’s try 4 translations:

The lazy student is tall.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

That’s right! Groß has no ending since it doesn’t come between the article and noun:Der faule Schüler ist groß.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Here’s another:

The sweet grandma kisses the old grandpa.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Did you get?:

Die süße Oma küsst den alten Opa.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Okay, now something harder.

This nice father gives every intelligent daughter some interesting books.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

If you got this one, you’re doing better than the seniors!

Dieser nette Vater gibt jeder intelligenten Tochter manche interesanten Bücher.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Final one for the future German teachers:

This bad student’s stupid dog stinks.(the stupid dog of this bad student)

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Well done FLTAs! (Future Language Teachers of America):

Der doofe Hund dieses schlechten Schülers stinkt.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Okay, now I’m going to trip your mind. Today’s tip shows the connection between this chart and the 3rd persons: he, she, it and they.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

If you see RESE, which is the subject, it matches the ends of the subject pronouns:er, sie, es, sie.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

If you see NESE, which is the direct object, it matches the ends of the direct object pronouns:ihn, sie, es, sie.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

If you see MRMN, which is the indirect object, it matches the ends of the indirect object pronouns:ihm, ihr, ihm, ihnen.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

Woooah. That’s trippy. Sorry. It doesn’t work with the genitive. Stay tuned for more exciting knowledge!

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)