While predicate adjectives are not part of the der-word adjectives, it is important to discuss briefly their position and use. Predicate adjectives take the most basic, unaltered form of the adjective, and don't take any endings unless they are in the comparative or superlative forms. These adjectives are linked to the nouns they describe with a verb such as sein, werden, heißen.
Rapunzels Eltern waren sehr arm.
Rapunzel's parents were very poor.
Neben ihnen lebte eine Hexe. Ihr Garten warprächtig.
Next to them lived a witch. Her garden wasmagnificent.
Die Mauer um den Garten war sehr hoch.
The wall around the garden was very tall.
Attributive adjectives after der-words
Adjectives that follow definite articles (der, die, das, den, dem, etc.) or the other der-words dieser, jeder, jener, mancher, solcher, welcher, alle and precede the nouns they describe, take so-called weak endings. These endings apply whether the adjective is in the basic form or in the comparative or superlative forms.
Der Garten war mit den schönsten Rapunzeln bepflanzt.
The garden was planted by the most beautiful rapunzels (lamb's lettuce).
Die Frau wollte vom frischen Gemüse essen.
The wife wanted to eat from the fresh vegetable.
Der Mann kletterte auf die hohe Mauer und holte seiner Frau die frischesten, grünesten Rapunzeln.
The man climbed on the tall wall and brought the freshest, greenest rapunzels for his wife.
To determine the correct adjective ending, determine the gender of the noun the adjective describes (masculine, feminine, neuter or plural) or number (in the case of plural nouns), then determine what case the noun is in the sentence or phrase (nominative, accusative, dative, or genitive).
Nominativ
Akkusativ
Dativ
Genitiv
Maskulin
der arme Mann
den armen Mann
dem armen Mann
des armen Mannes
Feminin
die alte Hexe
die alte Hexe
der alten Hexe
der alten Hexe
Neutral
das frische Gemüse
das frische Gemüse
dem frischen Gemüse
des frischen Gemüses
Plural
die frischen Rapunzeln
die frischen Rapunzeln
den frischen Rapunzeln
der frischen Rapunzeln
Exceptions
Changes in the basic form
When adjectives that end in -el, -en or -er in the basic form get an adjective ending, they drop the -e- before the final consonant and add the endings to this new form (see the example with dunkel).
Er lief in diedunkle Nacht hinaus und holte die Rapunzeln.
He ran into thedark night and brought the rapunzels.
Colors
Some adjectives with foreign origins (many of these words end in a vowel) do not take adjective endings: lila, pink, rosa, beige, prima, super, etc
Seine Frau aß dieprima Rapunzeln in Rekordzeit, und die beiden bezahlten dafür einen schrecklichen Preis.
The wife ate theexcellent rapunzels in record time, and the two of them paid a terrible price for it.