German · B1 · Everyday language
Qualities That Matter in German
Use everyday German to discuss qualities that help friendships and projects succeed. Practise adjective endings with plural nouns: without an article, adjectives end in -e in both the nominative and accusative.
What you'll learn
- Describe helpful qualities in friends, activities and project materials.
- Use strong adjective endings with plural nouns without an article.
- Recognise nominative subjects and accusative objects.
German phrases for qualities that matter
Gute Freunde respektieren deine Entscheidungen.
Good friends respect your choices.
Gute Freunde is the nominative plural subject. Without an article, gut takes -e.
Klare Regeln helfen allen, sich das Tablet gerecht zu teilen.
Clear rules help everyone share the tablet fairly.
Klare Regeln is the nominative plural subject, so klar takes -e. Helfen takes the dative: allen means 'everyone' here.
Du brauchst starke Argumente für die Debatte in deiner Klasse.
You need strong arguments for your class debate.
Starke Argumente is the accusative plural object of brauchst. Without an article, stark takes -e.
Wir sammeln nützliche Ideen für dein Geschichtsprojekt.
We collect useful ideas for your history project.
Nützliche Ideen is the accusative plural object of sammeln. Nützlich takes -e.
Kreative Hobbys bieten dir eine Auszeit vom Bildschirm.
Creative hobbies give you a break from screens.
Kreative Hobbys is the nominative plural subject. Eine Auszeit vom Bildschirm naturally means a break from screen use.
Regelmäßige Pausen helfen dir, dich zu konzentrieren.
Regular breaks help you concentrate.
Regelmäßige Pausen is the nominative plural subject. Sich konzentrieren is reflexive: with du, use dich.
Du kannst interessante Fotos für deine Präsentation machen.
You can take interesting photos for your presentation.
Interessante Fotos is the accusative plural object. German uses Fotos machen for 'take photos'; after kannst, machen goes at the end.
Wir brauchen frische Zutaten für dein Kochprojekt.
We need fresh ingredients for your cooking project.
Frische Zutaten is the accusative plural object of brauchen. Without an article, frisch takes -e.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
die Entscheidung; die Entscheidungen
decision, choice; decisions, choices
Eine Entscheidung treffen means 'to make a decision'.
gerecht
fair, fairly
In etwas gerecht teilen, it describes how something is shared and has no adjective ending.
das Argument; die Argumente
argument, reason; arguments, reasons
An Argument supports an opinion. A quarrel is usually ein Streit.
nützlich
useful
Before an article-free plural noun in the nominative or accusative, use nützliche.
die Auszeit; die Auszeiten
break, time out; breaks
Eine Auszeit von etwas is a break from something.
sich konzentrieren
to concentrate
Use a reflexive pronoun: ich konzentriere mich, du konzentrierst dich.
das Foto; die Fotos
photo; photos
The plural ends in -s. Fotos machen means 'to take photos'.
die Zutat; die Zutaten
ingredient; ingredients
Usually used in the plural when talking about cooking.
Nominative plural: describing the subject
The subject tells us who or what does something. With plural nouns and no article or other determiner, the adjective takes the strong ending -e. The verb also agrees with the plural subject.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | adjective stem + -e + plural noun | Gute Freunde respektieren deine Entscheidungen. |
| Another plural subject | klar → klare Regeln | Klare Regeln helfen allen. |
Accusative plural: describing the direct object
The direct object tells us what someone needs, collects or makes. With plural nouns and no article or other determiner, the strong adjective ending is also -e. This rule applies to these two cases, not to every plural case.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| After brauchen | stark → starke Argumente | Du brauchst starke Argumente. |
| After sammeln | nützlich → nützliche Ideen | Wir sammeln nützliche Ideen. |
| Contrast with a definite article | frische Zutaten → die frischen Zutaten | Wir brauchen frische Zutaten. Wir brauchen die frischen Zutaten. |
More examples
Gute Ideen helfen uns bei unserem Projekt.
Good ideas help us with our project.
Gute Ideen is nominative plural: it is the subject of helfen.
Wir brauchen klare Regeln für unser Spiel.
We need clear rules for our game.
Klare Regeln is accusative plural here. The adjective ending is still -e.
Wir üben lange Wörter zusammen.
We practise long words together.
Lange Wörter is accusative plural without an article, so lang takes -e.