- whether the noun it qualifies is definite or indefinite.
A noun is definite if it is preceded by a >definite article (de or het) or a >>demonstrative pronoun (deze, dit, die or dat), or possessive pronoun (mijn, jouw etc).
A noun is indefinite if it is preceded by the >indefinite article (een) or by no article at all (for example in the plural). Geen (as in Ik heb geen nieuwe auto = ‘I have no new car') and welk(e) also act as an indefinite article.
Attributive adjectives have the ending -e unless
- the noun it qualifies is a neuter gender noun (het-word) AND
- that noun is indefinite
|
form
|
definite
|
indefinite
|
|
singular de-word
|
de gezellige kamer
die gezellige kamer mijn gezelige kamer
|
een gezellige kamer geen gezellige kamer welke gezellige kamer?
|
|
*plural de-word
|
de gezellige kamers*
|
gezellige kamers*
|
|
singular het-word
|
het mooie boek
dat mooie boek
jouw mooie boek
|
een mooi boek
geen mooi boek
welk mooi boek?
|
|
*plural het-word
|
de mooie boeken*
|
mooie boeken*
|
*Note that all plurals are de-words, so adjectives preceding them always decline: they have the ending -e.
This is a schematic representation of the rule for adjectival endings:
|
gender
|
definite
|
indefinite
|
|
common (de-word)
|
-e
|
-e
|
|
neuter (het-word)
|
-e
|
-Ø
|
There are some common >exceptions to these rules.
Back to adjectives.
Back to parts of speech.
Back to home.
