AQA A-Level German (7662)

## Learning Outcomes

- Understand the difference between **predicative** and **attributive** adjectives
- Identify when German uses **strong**, **weak**, and **mixed** adjective endings
- Apply adjective endings accurately across nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive
- Form comparatives and superlatives correctly, including key irregular forms
- Distinguish between **als**, **wie**, attributive superlatives, and **am ...sten** forms
- Use common adjectives with the dative and common adjective + preposition combinations accurately in essay writing
- Improve the grammatical accuracy of written German for Paper 2 responses

## AQA A-Level German (7662) Syllabus

For the AQA A-Level German (7662), you are expected to understand adjective use in written German, with a focus on the following syllabus points:

- Know the difference between adjectives used after a verb and adjectives used before a noun
- Identify and apply **adjective endings** after definite articles, indefinite articles, possessives, and with no article
- Explain the difference between **strong**, **weak**, and **mixed** adjective declension
- Form and use the **comparative** and **superlative** correctly, including irregular forms such as **besser**, **mehr**, **lieber**, **höher**, and **näher**
- Understand that comparative and superlative adjectives still take normal endings when used before nouns
- Use common **adjectives with the dative**, such as **jemandem ähnlich** or **jemandem wichtig**
- Use common **adjective + preposition** combinations with the correct case, such as **interessiert an**, **stolz auf**, and **bekannt für**
- Avoid common errors in formal essay German, especially those involving masculine singular, dative plural, and superlative forms

## Test Your Knowledge

_Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, look more closely at that area during your revision._

1. What is the difference between a predicative adjective and an attributive adjective?
2. How do adjective endings change after **der-words**, **ein-words**, and with no article?
3. What is the difference between **größer als** and **so groß wie**?
4. Why is **das am schönstene Haus** wrong?
5. Name two adjectives that take a dative complement and two adjective + preposition combinations.

## Introduction

Adjectives matter in A-level German because they are tested indirectly every time you write. In Paper 2, strong ideas can lose marks if the German is inaccurate. A very common weakness is adjective agreement: students know the noun they want, but not the correct ending, case, or comparison form.

This topic is not just about memorising tables. You need to understand why the ending changes. In German, the adjective often helps show **case**, **gender**, and **number**. Sometimes the article already gives that information, so the adjective ending is lighter. Sometimes the adjective must carry more grammatical information itself.

> **Key Term: adjective endings**
> The endings added to adjectives in German to show case, gender, and number when the adjective is used before a noun.
>
> **Exam Warning:**
> Do not rely on keyword recognition alone; check the precise condition, exception, calculation step, or evidence the question requires.

### Predicative and attributive adjectives

The first distinction is the most basic one, and many later mistakes come from missing it.

A **predicative adjective** comes after a verb such as **sein**, **werden**, or **bleiben**. In this position, the adjective does **not** take an ending.

- Der Roman ist interessant.
- Hanna ist stolz.
- Die Figuren bleiben wichtig.

An **attributive adjective** comes before a noun. In this position, it **must** take an ending.

- ein interessanter Roman
- eine stolze Frau
- wichtige Figuren

This matters because students often transfer the no-ending form into noun phrases. For example:

- correct: Der Film ist spannend.
- correct: ein spannender Film
- wrong: ein spannend Film

The logic is simple. After **sein**, the adjective describes the subject but is not inside the noun phrase. Before the noun, it belongs to the noun phrase and must agree grammatically.

> **Key Term: predicative adjective**
> An adjective used after a verb such as sein, werden, or bleiben; it does not take an adjective ending.
> **Key Term: attributive adjective**
> An adjective used before a noun; it must take an ending that matches the grammatical context.

A useful Paper 2 example is the difference between:

- Michaels Verhalten ist problematisch.
- sein problematisches Verhalten

Both mean roughly the same thing, but the grammar changes because the position changes.

Students also need to recognise that comparative and superlative forms behave in the same way:

- Der Text ist komplexer.
- ein komplexerer Text

- Der Stil ist am stärksten.
- der stärkste Stil

> **Test Tip:**
> When checking your essay, underline every adjective before a noun. Each one should have a reason for its ending. If you cannot explain the ending, check the article, the case, and whether the noun phrase is singular or plural.
### Strong, weak and mixed adjective endings

This is the core examinable area. The quickest way to choose the right ending is not to start with a full table. Start by asking: what word comes before the adjective?

There are three systems:

1. **Weak endings** after **der-words**
2. **Mixed endings** after **ein-words**, **kein**, and possessives such as **mein**, **sein**, **ihr**
3. **Strong endings** when there is **no article**

> **Key Term: weak adjective endings**
> Adjective endings used after definite-type determiners such as der, die, das, dieser, and jeder, where the determiner already shows most grammatical information.
>
> **Key Term: mixed adjective endings**
> Adjective endings used after ein-words, kein, and possessives, where some grammatical information is shown by the determiner and some by the adjective.
>
> **Key Term: strong adjective endings**
> Adjective endings used when there is no article or determiner clearly marking case, gender, and number, so the adjective carries the grammatical information.

#### Weak endings: after der-words

After **der, die, das**, and similar words like **dieser** or **jeder**, the adjective usually takes **-en**, except in a few basic nominative and accusative singular forms.

Examples:

- der alte Mann
- die junge Frau
- das kleine Kind
- den alten Mann
- mit dem kleinen Kind
- der jungen Frau

The useful memory rule is: after a definite article, the article does the heavy grammatical work, so the adjective is usually weak.

The main weak forms to remember are:

- nominative masculine: **-e** → der alte Mann
- nominative feminine: **-e** → die junge Frau
- nominative neuter: **-e** → das kleine Kind
- accusative feminine: **-e** → die junge Frau
- accusative neuter: **-e** → das kleine Kind

Almost everything else is **-en**.

#### Mixed endings: after ein-words

After **ein**, **kein**, and possessives, the pattern is called mixed because some forms are clear from the determiner and others are not.

Examples:

- ein alter Mann
- eine junge Frau
- ein kleines Kind
- keinen alten Mann
- mit meinem kleinen Bruder

The important forms are where **ein** does not show the full case/gender clearly, so the adjective must do it:

- nominative masculine: **ein alter Mann**
- nominative neuter: **ein kleines Kind**
- accusative neuter: **ein kleines Kind**

But where the determiner already gives clearer information, the adjective often moves to **-en**:

- einen alten Mann
- einem kleinen Kind
- meiner jungen Schwester

A very common essay phrase is:

- mit seiner älteren Generation

Students often get the ending right on the adjective but forget the case reason. After **mit**, you need the **dative**, so the adjective goes to **-en** in mixed declension.

#### Strong endings: with no article

When there is no article, the adjective itself must show the grammatical information.

Examples:

- guter Wein
- frische Milch
- kaltes Wasser
- mit kaltem Wasser
- trotz großer Probleme

Strong endings look similar to article endings. That is why this system feels harder at first, but it is actually logical: if there is no article, the adjective takes over the marking role.

High-value forms:

- nominative masculine: **-er** → guter Roman
- nominative feminine: **-e** → gute Sprache
- nominative neuter: **-es** → gutes Beispiel
- dative masculine/neuter: **-em** → mit gutem Grund
- dative feminine: **-er** → mit frischer Energie
- dative plural: **-en** → mit guten Freunden

One rule is especially useful in exams: **dative plural adjective = always -en**. Usually the noun also adds **-n** if possible:

- mit kleinen Kindern
- mit meinen guten Freunden
- mit den jungen Leuten

This double marking is often missed.

> **Test Tip:**
> If you are unsure, do not guess randomly between -e and -en. First identify the pattern: der-word, ein-word, or no article. That cuts the problem down immediately.

### Comparative and superlative forms

The comparative is usually formed by adding **-er** to the adjective.

- klein → kleiner
- schnell → schneller
- interessant → interessanter

The normal comparison word is **als**:

- Michael ist älter als Hanna.
- Der zweite Teil ist düsterer als der erste.

Do not confuse this with equality:

- Michael ist so unsicher wie früher.

So:

- **größer als** = bigger than
- **so groß wie** = as big as

> **Key Term: comparative**
> The form of an adjective used to compare two things, usually formed with -er in German and often followed by als.

Many common adjectives also take an umlaut:

- alt → älter
- jung → jünger
- groß → größer
- lang → länger

Not every adjective does this, so students must learn high-frequency patterns rather than forcing umlauts everywhere.

The superlative has two main forms.

First, the **predicative/adverbial** form:

- am schnellsten
- am wichtigsten
- am schönsten

Use this when there is no following noun:

- Der Roman ist am interessantesten.
- Michael reagiert am heftigsten im Gerichtssaal.

Second, the **attributive** form before a noun:

- der schnellste Zug
- die wichtigste Figur
- das schönste Motiv

Here the superlative acts like a normal adjective before a noun, so it still takes an ending.

> **Key Term: superlative**
> The form of an adjective used to show the highest degree, either as am ...sten after a verb or as a declined form before a noun.

This is where students make a major error:

- correct: das schönste Haus
- correct: Das Haus ist am schönsten.
- wrong: das am schönstene Haus

Why is it wrong? Because German uses two different structures. You either choose the attributive superlative before the noun, or the predicative **am** form after a verb. You do not combine them.

Key irregular forms:

- gut → besser → am besten
- viel → mehr → am meisten
- gern → lieber → am liebsten
- hoch → höher → am höchsten
- nah → näher → am nächsten

These matter in essays because they are frequent and natural. For example:

- Ein besseres Beispiel findet man im zweiten Teil.
- Am wichtigsten ist hier Michaels Schuldgefühl.

Remember too that comparative and superlative forms still decline when used attributively:

- ein besserer Vorschlag
- die stärkere Figur
- der wichtigste Konflikt

### Adjectives with the dative and with prepositions

AQA also expects you to handle adjectives that require a dative complement, and adjectives followed by fixed prepositions.

Some useful adjectives with the dative are:

- **ähnlich** + dative
- **dankbar** + dative
- **sympathisch** + dative
- **wichtig** + dative
- **klar** + dative
- **bekannt** + dative in some structures

Examples:

- Michael ist seinem Vater ähnlich.
- Ich bin dir dankbar.
- Hanna ist ihm nicht sympathisch.
- Dieses Thema ist mir wichtig.
- Das ist mir klar.

> **Key Term: adjectives with the dative**
> Adjectives that take a dative noun or pronoun as their complement, such as jemandem ähnlich or jemandem wichtig.

These are useful in analytical writing because they help you express judgement precisely:

- Michaels Schuldgefühl ist dem Leser klar.
- Die Frage der Verantwortung ist ihm wichtig.

Now compare adjectives with fixed prepositions. Here the preposition controls the case.

Common exam-safe combinations include:

- **interessiert an** + dative
- **freundlich zu** + dative
- **zufrieden mit** + dative
- **abhängig von** + dative
- **stolz auf** + accusative
- **bekannt für** + accusative
- **verantwortlich für** + accusative
- **verliebt in** + accusative
- **neidisch auf** + accusative

Examples:

- Er ist an Literatur interessiert.
- Sie ist zu ihm freundlich.
- Michael ist von Hanna abhängig.
- Hanna ist für ihre Härte bekannt.
- Er ist auf seine Analyse stolz.

> **Key Term: adjectives with prepositions**
> Adjectives that are regularly followed by a particular preposition, with the case determined by that preposition.

Students often make two kinds of mistake here. First, they choose the wrong preposition. Second, they choose the right preposition but the wrong case.

For example:

- interested in = **interessiert an**, not _interessiert für_
- proud of = **stolz auf**, not _stolz von_

These combinations should be learned as whole chunks, not translated word by word from English.

This is especially valuable in essays, where fixed phrases make your German more idiomatic:

- Michael bleibt an Hanna interessiert.
- Die Figur ist für den Roman zentral.
- Er ist auf Distanz zu seiner Generation bedacht.  
  Even if you later use more complex phrasing, such chunks increase accuracy.

### German Language Toolkit

![German adjective usage, including predicative and attributive position, strong, weak, and mixed endings, and comparative and superlative forms.](https://static.pastpaperhero.com/images/aqa-a-level-german-7662-grammar-adjectives_00.png)

_German adjectives are grouped by syntactic function, declension pattern, case agreement, and degrees of comparison._

### Topic vocabulary

| German                  | English                  |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------ |
| das Adjektiv            | adjective                |
| die Adjektivendung      | adjective ending         |
| die Adjektivdeklination | adjective declension     |
| prädikativ              | predicative              |
| attributiv              | attributive              |
| stark                   | strong                   |
| schwach                 | weak                     |
| gemischt                | mixed                    |
| der Kasus               | case                     |
| der Nominativ           | nominative               |
| der Akkusativ           | accusative               |
| der Dativ               | dative                   |
| der Genitiv             | genitive                 |
| der Komparativ          | comparative              |
| der Superlativ          | superlative              |
| der Vergleich           | comparison               |
| die Steigerung          | comparison of adjectives |
| ähnlich                 | similar                  |
| wichtig                 | important                |
| interessiert an         | interested in            |

#### Complex sentence patterns

- Wenn das Adjektiv nach dem Verb steht, bekommt es keine Endung.
  If the adjective comes after the verb, it takes no ending.

- Obwohl die Regel einfach wirkt, machen viele Schüler Fehler bei den Endungen.
  Although the rule seems simple, many students make mistakes with the endings.

- Man sieht, dass das Adjektiv stärker markiert werden muss, wenn kein Artikel davor steht.
  One can see that the adjective has to mark more strongly when no article stands before it.

- Während der bestimmte Artikel die grammatische Information trägt, ist die Endung oft schwächer.
  While the definite article carries the grammatical information, the ending is often weaker.

- Je genauer man den Kasus erkennt, desto leichter wählt man die richtige Form.
  The more accurately one identifies the case, the more easily one chooses the correct form.

- Es ist entscheidend, dass man zwischen der attributiven und der prädikativen Form unterscheidet.
  It is crucial that one distinguishes between the attributive and predicative form.

- Ein Vergleich ist nur dann korrekt, wenn man nach dem Komparativ als verwendet.
  A comparison is only correct if one uses als after the comparative.

#### Opinion and argument phrases

- Meiner Meinung nach ist grammatische Genauigkeit im Aufsatz unverzichtbar.
  In my opinion, grammatical accuracy in the essay is essential.

- Man kann argumentieren, dass feste Wendungen das Schreiben sicherer machen.
  One can argue that fixed phrases make writing safer.

- Einerseits sind die Regeln systematisch, andererseits verlangen sie viel Übung.
  On the one hand the rules are systematic, on the other hand they require a lot of practice.

- Es lässt sich sagen, dass die Endungen oft logischer sind, als sie zuerst wirken.
  It can be said that the endings are often more logical than they first seem.

## Key Point Checklist

_This article has covered the following key knowledge points:_

- Predicative adjectives come after verbs like **sein** and do not take endings
- Attributive adjectives come before nouns and must take endings
- Weak endings are used after **der-words**
- Mixed endings are used after **ein-words**, **kein**, and possessives
- Strong endings are used when there is no article
- Dative plural adjective endings are always **-en**
- Comparative forms usually add **-er** and are commonly followed by **als**
- Equality is shown with **so ... wie**, not **als**
- Superlatives have two patterns: **am ...sten** after a verb and declined **...ste** forms before nouns
- Irregular forms include **besser**, **mehr**, **lieber**, **höher**, and **näher**
- Some adjectives take a direct dative complement, such as **jemandem ähnlich** and **jemandem wichtig**
- Common adjective + preposition combinations include **interessiert an**, **stolz auf**, and **bekannt für**

## Key Terms and Concepts

- adjective endings
- predicative adjective
- attributive adjective
- weak adjective endings
- mixed adjective endings
- strong adjective endings
- comparative
- superlative
- adjectives with the dative
- adjectives with prepositions


Grammar - Adjectives