Adjective Suffixes
In this lesson of the Learn German course, you'll learn some more common German adjectives. You'll also learn some suffixes that are used to create adjectives. The grammar of German adjectives is discussed in the Adjectives lesson.
Online flashcards and a quiz are included in the lesson to help you learn the German adjectives introduced in this lesson.
Grammar
Creating adjectives from verbs
In German the past participle of many verbs can be used as an adjective.
Examples
| Verb | Adjective | English |
|---|---|---|
| langweilen | gelangweilt | bored |
| beschäftigen | beschäftigt | busy, occupied |
| brauchen | gebraucht | used |
Suffixes
A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word.
In German there are several suffixes that can be added to nouns to convert them to adjectives. The most common of these suffixes are:
| German Suffix | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ig | Characterized by, inclined to, has a lot of. Same as the English suffix y. |
| lich | Same as the english suffix ly, but is used more often in German to create adjectives. |
| bar | Capable of being, or full of. Often used in German where English uses the suffix able. |
| sam | Similar to or same as. Same as English suffix some. |
| isch | Same as English suffixes ish and ic. |
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German Adjectives
Here are some more very common German adjectives.
| albern | silly |
| alle | all |
| andere | other |
| anders | different |
| ärgerlich | annoying |
| aufgebracht | upset |
| aufgeregt | excited |
| beliebt | popular |
| bequem | comfortable |
| beschäftigt | busy |
| besorgt | worried |
| bunt | colorful |
| dreckig | dirty |
| dunkel | dark |
| echt | real |
| egoistisch | selfish, egotistical |
| einsam | lonely |
| etwas | some |
| faul | lazy |
| frei | free, open, clear |
| freundlich | friendly, kind |
| fröhlich | cheerful |
| früh | early |
| furchtbar | awful |
| ganz | entire, whole |
| geizig | mean |
| gelangweilt | bored |
| gemeinsam | common |
| gesund | healthy |
| gewöhnlich | usual |
| glänzend | shiny, glossy, glittering |
| gleich | same |
| glücklich | happy, lucky |
| haupt | main |
| heiter | cheerful, serene |
| hilfreich | helpful |
| klar | clear |
| klein | small, little |
| kürzlich | recent |
| langweilig | boring |
| leer | empty |
| mutig | brave, courageous |
| natürlich | natural |
| ruhig | calm |
| sauber | clean |
| schaurig | scary |
| scheu | shy |
| schläfrig | sleepy |
| schrecklich | terrible, horrible |
| selbstsüchtig | selfish |
| selten | rare |
| seltsam | strange |
| sicher | certain |
| sorgfältig | careful (thorough) |
| tapfer | brave, courageous |
| teuer | expensive |
| trübe | murky, dim |
| überfüllt | crowded |
| üblich | usual, customary, common |
| ungewöhnlich | unusual |
| unmöglich | impossible |
| verärgert | annoyed |
| verletzt | hurt |
| verrückt | crazy |
| voll | full |
| vorsichtig | careful, cautious |
| wichtig | important |
| wund | sore |
| zäh | tough |
Flashcards
Here are some flashcards to help you learn the adjectives included in this lesson.
Practice Questions
Here are some questions to help you learn the adjectives included in this lesson. For each question, rewrite the sentence using the German equivalent of the word in parentheses.