To discuss properties like "length" or "hardness," you can turn descriptive adjectives into abstract nouns.
In German, you can transform many short adjectives into abstract nouns by adding the suffix -e. Two rules apply:
- The noun is always feminine (taking the article die).
- The main vowel takes an Umlaut if possible (a becomes ä, o becomes ö, u becomes ü, and au becomes äu).
For example, lang (long) becomes die Länge (the length), and scharf (sharp) becomes die Schärfe (the sharpness).
| The aquarium has the perfect length. | Das Aquarium hat die perfekte Länge. |
| I feel the sharpness of the stone. | Ich spüre die Schärfe vom Stein. |
This pattern applies to many other qualities:
- nass (wet) becomes die Nässe (the wetness).
- hart (hard) becomes die Härte (the hardness).
If the adjective ends in unaccented -er, like sauer (acidic), drop the e before adding the suffix. The vowel still shifts:
- sauer (acidic) becomes die Säure (the acid or acidity).
| Despite the wetness, the cable works. | Trotz der Nässe funktioniert das Kabel. |
| The expert must test both the hardness and the acid. | Der Experte muss sowohl die Härte als auch die Säure testen. |
| The acid is the worst for the reef and the corals. | Die Säure ist am schlechtesten für das Riff und die Korallen. |
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