Questions & Answers about Ich finde den bunten Hut schön.
Why is it bunten instead of just bunt?
Hut (hat) is a masculine noun (der Hut) and acts as the direct object (accusative case) of the verb finde. After the masculine accusative definite article den, an adjective must take the -en ending. Therefore, bunt becomes bunten.
Why does bunten have an ending, but schön does not?
Bunten comes directly before a noun (Hut), so it needs an adjective ending to match the noun's gender and case. Schön is used later in the sentence to state a quality about the hat, rather than sitting right next to it. Adjectives used this way are called predicative adjectives, and they never take endings in German.
Doesn't finden usually mean 'to find'? Why is it translated as 'think' here?
You are right! But just like in English ('I find this hat beautiful'), finden is very commonly used in German to express a personal opinion. When used this way, it often translates more naturally to 'think' in English.
How do we know den bunten Hut should be in the accusative case?