German · A2 · Everyday language
Soft Things Nearby in German
Talk about familiar things that keep your baby cosy. Practise adjective endings after definite articles: der, die, das and den.
What you'll learn
- Name a teddy, blanket, towel and socks in German.
- Describe baby things as small, soft, clean, warm or dry.
- Use adjective endings after definite articles in the nominative and accusative.
German phrases for soft things nearby
Der kleine Teddy ist hier.
The small teddy is here.
Der Teddy is masculine. As the subject, it uses nominative der and the adjective ending -e.
Möchtest du den kleinen Teddy?
Do you want the small teddy?
Möchtest du …? is a gentle way to ask what your child wants. The direct object uses accusative den kleinen Teddy.
Die weiche Decke ist warm.
The soft blanket is warm.
Die Decke is feminine. Before the noun, weich becomes weiche. After ist, warm has no adjective ending.
Ich nehme die weiche Decke.
I am taking the soft blanket.
The blanket is the direct object. Feminine die weiche stays the same in the accusative.
Das saubere Handtuch liegt bereit.
The clean towel is ready.
Das Handtuch is neuter. Liegt bereit means that something is ready to use. Sauber becomes saubere before the noun.
Ich brauche das saubere Handtuch.
I need the clean towel.
The towel is the direct object. Neuter das saubere stays the same in the accusative.
Die kleinen Socken sind trocken.
The little socks are dry.
After plural die, the adjective takes -en. Use sind with a plural subject.
Ich packe die kleinen Socken ein.
I am packing the little socks.
Plural die kleinen stays the same in the accusative. Einpacken splits into packe … ein here.
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
der Teddy
the teddy; the teddy bear
Masculine. Plural: die Teddys.
die Decke
the blanket
Feminine. Plural: die Decken.
das Handtuch
the towel
Neuter. Plural: die Handtücher.
die Socke
the sock
Feminine. Plural: die Socken.
klein
small; little
Use kleine or kleinen after a definite article, depending on gender, number and case.
weich
soft
Before Decke with die, use weiche.
sauber
clean
The form here is saubere: das saubere Handtuch.
bereitliegen
to be ready; to be laid out ready
A separable verb: Das Handtuch liegt bereit.
einpacken
to pack
A separable verb: Ich packe die Socken ein.
Adjectives after definite articles
An adjective before a noun takes an ending. In the nominative, use -e after singular der, die and das. In the accusative, masculine der changes to den and the adjective takes -en. Feminine and neuter forms do not change. After plural die, use -en in both cases.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine nominative | der + adjective-e + noun | der kleine Teddy |
| Masculine accusative | den + adjective-en + noun | den kleinen Teddy |
| Feminine nominative | die + adjective-e + noun | die kleine Decke |
| Feminine accusative | die + adjective-e + noun | die kleine Decke |
| Neuter nominative | das + adjective-e + noun | das kleine Handtuch |
| Neuter accusative | das + adjective-e + noun | das kleine Handtuch |
| Plural nominative | die + adjective-en + noun | die kleinen Socken |
| Plural accusative | die + adjective-en + noun | die kleinen Socken |
Subject or direct object?
Use the nominative for the subject: who or what the sentence is about. Use the accusative for the direct object of verbs such as nehmen, brauchen and einpacken.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject: what is here? | nominative | Der kleine Teddy ist hier. |
| Direct object: what do you want? | accusative | Möchtest du den kleinen Teddy? |
No adjective ending after sein
When an adjective describes the subject after sein (to be), it has no ending. German also uses the present tense for actions happening now; it does not need a separate form for English “am taking” or “am packing.”
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular description | ist + adjective | Die weiche Decke ist warm. |
| Plural description | sind + adjective | Die kleinen Socken sind trocken. |
| Action happening now | ich + present-tense verb | Ich nehme die weiche Decke. |
More examples
Der kleine Teddy ist hier.
The small teddy is here.
Notice der kleine: masculine nominative.
Möchtest du den kleinen Teddy?
Do you want the small teddy?
Compare den kleinen: both the article and the adjective ending change in the masculine accusative.