Quantitative Adjectives

We will consider here another group of adjectives specifying an indefinite quantity. We encountered them already as neuter singular pronouns in this chapter. Study their behavior carefully because they are used a lot, and the pattern of endings varies quite a bit.  Here are their "dictionary" forms:

ander-	other
einig-	some
viel-	many
wenig-	few
mehrer-	several
einzeln-	single, individual

These words function like true adjectives in that they take a strong ending if there is no determiner, and a weak ending if there is one.

(weak)	(strong)
Ich schenke ihm den anderen Pulli.	Ich schenke ihm ein anderes Buch.
Ich habe der Frau jedes einzelne Foto gezeigt.	Ich habe der Frau einzelne Fotos gezeigt.
Sie hat sich über die vielen Geschenke gefreut.	Sie hat viele Geschenke gekauft.

Some of these words are used most often in the plural, with no determiner, so they have the "feel" of the plural of der-words. However, they are not true determiners: If viele, einige, andere, etc. are used in the strong declension, any adjectives that follow them are usually strong too:

Exception: viele in masculine and neuter (singular or plural) sometimes behaves like a der-word (except in the genitive). Viele will use the strong ending and the adjective that follows will have a weak ending:

When used in the singular with no determiner, viel and wenig often have no ending at all, and the following adjective takes the strong endings.

with article	no article	with another adjective
die viele Arbeit	viel Arbeit	mit viel gutem Willen
das wenige Geld	wenig Geld	wenig guter Wille

<< back