When describing plural nouns, the adjective ending depends on the specific quantity word before it. We divide these into two groups: those that trigger strong endings and those that trigger weak endings.
Strong endings with viele, einige, and mehrere
Words like viele (many), einige (some), and mehrere (several) behave like regular adjectives. Without a definite article (like die) to show the grammatical case, the descriptive adjective that follows must do the heavy lifting.
In the nominative and accusative plural, adjectives following these words take the strong ending -e.
| Many small publishers visit the book fair. | Viele kleine Verlage besuchen die Buchmesse. |
| The publisher showed some colorful new releases. | Der Verlag zeigte einige bunte Neuerscheinungen. |
| He bought several thick non-fiction books. | Er kaufte mehrere dicke Sachbücher. |
Weak endings with alle and beide
Words like alle (all) and beide (both) act like definite articles. They communicate the case on their own.
Because the case is clear, the descriptive adjective gets to relax and takes the weak plural ending -en.
| All big publishers are coming to the book fair. | Alle großen Verlage kommen auf die Buchmesse. |
| We bought all important new releases. | Wir haben alle wichtigen Neuerscheinungen gekauft. |
| I am taking both expensive copies. | Ich nehme beide teuren Exemplare. |
Summary of plural endings
Here is a quick comparison for the nominative and accusative plural:
| Preceding Word | Adjective Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| viele, einige, mehrere | -e | viele kleine Verlage |
| alle, beide | -en | alle großen Verlage |