Breakdown of Sie hat ein hübsches Kleid gekauft.
kaufen
to buy
haben
to have
das Kleid
the dress
hübsch
pretty
Questions & Answers about Sie hat ein hübsches Kleid gekauft.
Why does hübsch have an -es ending here?
Kleid is a neuter noun (das Kleid) and it is in the accusative case here because it is the direct object being bought. Since the indefinite article ein does not show a neuter ending, the adjective has to step up and show the gender by taking the strong ending -es.
How would I change this sentence to say she bought a prettier dress?
You would first form the comparative of hübsch, which is hübscher. Then, you add the exact same neuter accusative ending -es to it. So, 'a prettier dress' becomes ein hübscheres Kleid.
What if she bought the prettiest dress?
The base superlative form is hübschest-. Because you would usually say 'the' prettiest dress rather than 'a', the article changes to das. After the definite article das, the adjective only needs the weak ending -e in the accusative case. The result is das hübscheste Kleid.
Why is gekauft at the very end of the sentence?
This sentence uses the conversational past tense, or Perfekt. In German, the conjugated helping verb (hat) goes in the second position, but the past participle (gekauft) is always pushed to the very end of the clause.
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