Predicate Adjectives in German

Overview

One of the pleasant surprises of German grammar at the A1 level is that adjectives used after the verbs sein (to be) and werden (to become) do not take any endings. In English, you say "The weather is nice" — and in German, it is just as simple: Das Wetter ist schön. No gender agreement, no case endings, nothing extra.

This stands in stark contrast to adjectives placed before a noun (attributive adjectives), which require complex endings based on gender, case, and the type of article. But in the predicate position — after sein, werden, bleiben (to remain), and similar verbs — the adjective stays in its base form, regardless of the subject's gender or number.

This makes predicate adjectives an excellent starting point for using descriptive language in German without worrying about declension.

How It Works

Predicate adjective = adjective after sein/werden/bleiben, no ending:

Subject	Verb	Adjective	Translation
Der Mann	ist	nett	The man is nice.
Die Frau	ist	nett	The woman is nice.
Das Kind	ist	nett	The child is nice.
Die Kinder	sind	nett	The children are nice.

Comparison with attributive adjectives (for reference):

Predicate (no ending)	Attributive (with ending)
Der Film ist gut.	Das ist ein guter Film.
Die Suppe ist heiß.	Das ist eine heiße Suppe.
Das Buch ist neu.	Das ist ein neues Buch.

Key points:

• No endings, regardless of gender, number, or case of the subject
• Works with sein, werden, bleiben, scheinen (to seem), aussehen (to look/appear)
• The adjective describes the subject, not a separate noun
• This is the simplest way to use adjectives in German

Examples in Context

German	English	Note
Das Wetter ist schön.	The weather is nice.	Neuter subject, no ending
Der Film war langweilig.	The movie was boring.	Past tense of sein
Sie ist müde.	She is tired.	Feminine subject, still no ending
Die Kinder sind laut.	The children are loud.	Plural, no ending
Er wird alt.	He is getting old.	With werden
Das Essen ist fertig.	The food is ready.	Common phrase
Die Stadt ist schön.	The city is beautiful.	Feminine subject
Mein Bruder ist groß.	My brother is tall.	Masculine subject
Bist du hungrig?	Are you hungry?	Question form
Das bleibt geheim.	That remains secret.	With bleiben

Common Mistakes

Adding endings to predicate adjectives

• Wrong: Der Mann ist große.
• Right: Der Mann ist groß.
• Why: Predicate adjectives never take endings. The base form is all you need.

Confusing predicate and attributive positions

• Wrong: Das ist ein schön Haus. (attributive — needs ending)
• Right: Das Haus ist schön. (predicate — no ending) or Das ist ein schönes Haus. (attributive — with ending)
• Why: Before a noun, adjectives need endings. After sein/werden, they do not. Make sure you know which position you are in.

Using predicate adjectives with the wrong verb

• Wrong: Ich sehe müde. (trying to say "I look tired")
• Right: Ich sehe müde aus. (aussehen = to look/appear)
• Why: The verb matters. sehen means "to see." aussehen means "to look/appear" and works with predicate adjectives.

Practice Tips

1. Daily descriptions: Every day, describe five things using predicate adjectives: "Der Himmel ist blau. Mein Kaffee ist heiß. Die Straße ist leer."
2. Opposite pairs: Learn adjectives in pairs (groß/klein, alt/neu, gut/schlecht) and make sentences with both: "Das Hotel ist alt, aber das Zimmer ist neu."
3. Feeling check-ins: Practice expressing feelings: "Ich bin glücklich. Ich bin müde. Ich bin nicht hungrig."

Related Concepts

• Parent: Verb 'sein' (Present) — the main verb used with predicate adjectives
• Comparative Forms — comparing adjectives (größer, schöner)