Adjectives in the Accusative Case
When using indefinite articles (ein), possessive articles (mein, dein), or negative articles (kein), remember that the accusative case only affects masculine nouns. Feminine and neuter nouns look exactly the same as they do in the nominative case.
Here is how adjectives decline after these articles (often called "ein-words") when they act as direct objects or follow an accusative preposition (like für):
| Gender | Article | Adjective Ending | Example |
|---|
| Masculine | einen, meinen, keinen | -en | einen gebrauchten Tisch |
| Feminine | eine, meine, keine | -e | eine neue Anzeige |
| Neuter | ein, mein, kein | -es | ein gebrauchtes Sofa |
Masculine Nouns (-en)
For masculine nouns in the accusative case, the article changes to end in -en (einen, meinen, keinen). Because the article now clearly signals the masculine accusative form, the adjective also takes the ending -en.
This also applies to abstract masculine nouns like price (der Preis) and condition (der Zustand).
Neuter Nouns (-es)
Neuter nouns do not change in the accusative case. The article (ein, mein, kein) has no special ending. To show that the noun is neuter (normally marked by das), the adjective must take the strong -es ending, exactly as it does in the nominative case.
Feminine Nouns (-e)
Feminine nouns also stay the same in the accusative case. The article ends in -e (eine, meine, keine), which already signals the feminine gender. Therefore, the adjective simply takes the basic -e ending.
