I created this tool because I wanted a convenient way to drill the endings of “the”, nouns, ein-words (ein, kein and possessive pronouns) and adjectives as modified by case, plurality and gender. I found that assimilating these through normal grammar studies and usage was a very slow process. SRS was not as helpful as I hoped, as it resulted in a lot of missed cards. So I came up with this simple list. I find that following the method explained below is quite effective.
These drills are meant to help you assimilate just the endings. They are not meant to fully teach cases and genders. You can use “normal” methods to learn things like which case is applicable, which proposition triggers which case, etc. This tool is just supposed to get you to produce the endings automatically.
Remember that there is audio, and that clicking the words or “hide all” hides/reveals them. There are many ways you could use this list, but here is my suggested method:
1. Read the rule (the text above the set of three list items). Listen to the audio of the first German item and repeat. Note the English definition. Do it enough times to feel you are pronouncing it correctly. Repeat for the second, then the third.
2. Hide the German. Looking at the English, try to pronounce the German. Play the audio to check. If your pronunciation matches the audio, move onto the next item. If your pronunciation does not match the audio, listen and repeat enough times to feel you are pronouncing it correctly, then move onto the next item. Continue this until you can produce all three items correctly.
3. Repeat for the next rule, and so on, until you finish the whole list.
4. Do this daily until you can get through the whole list correctly.
5. Stop reading the rules. Read the summaries at the end of each case only and do the list. Do this daily until you can get through the whole list correctly.
6. Stop reading the summaries, and do the list. Do this daily until you can get through the whole list correctly and quickly.
Endings determined by Case and Gender.
There are four cases in German: Nominative (subject), Accusative (direct object), Dative (indirect object), and Genitive (possessive).
Nominative
Think of this as the "plain" or "dictionary" case. There are three genders, so the definite article "the" takes on three forms, depending on the gender of the noun.
der
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the (N. masculine)
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die
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the (N. feminine)
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das
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the (N. neuter)
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All nouns have gender. There are some patterns, but you should just memorize gender when you memorize a noun.
der Tisch
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the table
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die Firma
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the firm
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das Haus
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the house
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Most nouns have plural forms. There are some patterns, but you should just memorize the plural form when you memorize a noun. Notice that "the" for a plural noun is always die.
die Tische
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the tables
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die Firmen
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the firms
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die Häuser
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the houses
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Only ein-words (ein, kein and possessive pronouns) used with singular female nouns take on the ending -e.
mein Tisch
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my table
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meine Firma
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my firm
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mein Haus
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my house
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Ein-words used with plural nouns take -e.
meine Tische
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my tables
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meine Firmen
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my firms
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meine Häuser
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my houses
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Adjectives that stand on their own don't take endings.
Der Tisch ist alt.
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The table is old.
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Die Firma ist alt.
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The firm is old.
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Das Haus ist alt.
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The house is old.
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Adjectives used with "the" and singular nouns take -e.
der alte Tisch
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the old table
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die alte Firma
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the old firm
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das alte Haus
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the old house
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Adjectives used with "the" and plural nouns take -en.
die alten Tische
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the old tables
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die alten Firmen
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the old firms
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die alten Häuser
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the old houses
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Adjectives used with ein-words and singular nouns take -er/-e/-es.
mein alter Tisch
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my old table
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meine alte Firma
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my old firm
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mein altes Haus
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my old house
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Adjectives used with ein-words and plural nouns take -en.
meine alten Tische
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my old tables
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meine alten Firmen
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my old firms
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meine alten Häuser
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my old houses
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Accusative
Here are the three forms of "the" in the Accusative:
den
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the (A. masculine)
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die
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the (A. feminine)
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das
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the (A. neuter)
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Notice that singular nouns are the same as Nominative.
Ich sehe den Tisch.
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I see the table.
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Ich sehe die Firma.
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I see the firm.
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Ich sehe das Haus.
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I see the house.
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Plural nouns are also the same.
Ich sehe die Tische.
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I see the tables.
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Ich sehe die Firmen.
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I see the firms.
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Ich sehe die Häuser.
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I see the houses.
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Ein-words used with singular male nouns take the ending -en. Otherwise they are the same as Nominative.
Ich sehe meinen Tisch.
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I see my table.
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Ich sehe meine Firma.
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I see my firm.
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Ich sehe mein Haus.
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I see my house.
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Ein-words used with plural nouns are the same as nominative.
Ich sehe meine Tische.
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I see my tables.
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Ich sehe meine Firmen.
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I see my firms.
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Ich sehe meine Häuser.
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I see my houses.
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Adjectives used with "the" and singular male nouns take -en. Otherwise they are the same as Nominative.
Ich sehe den alten Tisch.
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I see the old table.
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Ich sehe die alte Firma.
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I see the old firm.
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Ich sehe das alte Haus.
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I see the old house.
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Adjectives used with "the" and plural nouns are the same as nominative.
Ich sehe die alten Tische.
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I see the old tables.
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Ich sehe die alten Firmen.
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I see the old firms.
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Ich sehe die alten Häuser.
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I see the old houses.
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Adjectives used with ein-words and male singular nouns take -en. Otherwise they are the same as Nominative.
Ich sehe meinen alten Tisch.
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I see my old table.
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Ich sehe meine alte Firma.
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I see my old firm.
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Ich sehe mein altes Haus.
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I see my old house.
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Adjectives used with ein-words and plural nouns are the same as Nominative.
Ich sehe meine alten Tische.
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I see my old tables.
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Ich sehe meine alten Firmen.
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I see my old firms.
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Ich sehe meine alten Häuser.
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I see my old houses.
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Summary: Singular male endings (except for nouns) are -en. Otherwise, it's the same as Nominative.
Dative
Here are the three forms of "the" in the Dative:
dem
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the (D. masculine)
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der
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the (D. feminine)
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dem
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the (D. neuter)
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Notice that singular nouns are the same as Nominative.
Ich bin zufrieden mit dem Tisch.
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I am happy with the table.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit der Firma.
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I am happy with the firm.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit dem Haus.
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I am happy with the house.
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Plural nouns take -en. "The" is den when used with plural nouns.
Ich bin zufrieden mit den Tischen.
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I am happy with the tables.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit den Firmen.
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I am happy with the firms.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit den Häusern.
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I am happy with the houses
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Ein-words used with singular nouns take -em/-er/-em.
Ich bin zufrieden mit meinem Tisch.
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I am happy with my table.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit meiner Firma.
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I am happy with my firm.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit meinem Haus.
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I am happy with my house.
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Ein-words used with plural nouns take -en.
Ich bin zufrieden mit meinen Tischen.
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I am happy with my tables.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit meinen Firmen.
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I am happy with my firms.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit meinen Häusern.
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I am happy with my houses.
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All adjectives take -en. Adjectives used with "the" and singular nouns take -en.
Ich bin zufrieden mit dem alten Tisch.
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I am happy with the old table.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit der alten Firma.
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I am happy with the old firm.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit dem alten Haus.
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I am happy with the old house.
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Adjectives used with "the" and plural nouns take -en.
Ich bin zufrieden mit den alten Tischen.
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I am happy with the old tables.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit den alten Firmen.
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I am happy with the old firms.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit den alten Häusern.
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I am happy with the old houses.
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Adjectives used with ein-words and singular nouns take -en.
Ich bin zufrieden mit meinem alten Tisch.
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I am happy with my old table.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit meiner alten Firma.
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I am happy with my old firm.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit meinem alten Haus.
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I am happy with my old house.
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Adjectives used with ein-words and plural nouns take -en.
Ich bin zufrieden mit meinen alten Tischen.
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I am happy with my old tables.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit meinen alten Firmen.
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I am happy with my old firms.
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Ich bin zufrieden mit meinen alten Häusern.
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I am happy with my old houses.
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Summary: Singular endings (except for nouns) are -em/-er/-em. Plural endings are -en.
Genitive
Here are the three forms of "the" in the Genitive:
des
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the (G. masculine)
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der
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the (G. feminine)
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des
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the (G. neuter)
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Singular male and neuter nouns take -(e)s.
Der Preis des Tisches ist hoch.
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The price of the table is high.
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Der Preis der Firma ist hoch.
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The price of the firm is high.
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Der Preis des Hauses ist hoch.
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The price of the house is high.
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Plural nouns are the same as Nominative. "The" is der when used with plural nouns.
Der Preis der Tische ist hoch.
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The price of the tables is high.
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Der Preis der Firmen ist hoch.
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The price of the firms is high.
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Der Preis der Häuser ist hoch.
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The price of the houses is high.
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Ein-words used with singular male and neuter nouns take -(e)s.
Der Preis meines Tisches ist hoch.
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The price of my table is high.
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Der Preis meiner Firma ist hoch.
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The price of my firm is high.
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Der Preis meines Hauses ist hoch.
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The price of my house is high.
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Ein-words used with plural nouns take -er.
Der Preis meiner Tische ist hoch.
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The price of my tables is high.
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Der Preis meiner Firmen ist hoch.
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The price of my firms is high.
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Der Preis meiner Häuser ist hoch.
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The price of my houses is high.
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All adjectives take -en. Adjectives used with "the" and singular nouns take -en.
Der Preis des alten Tisches ist hoch.
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The price of the old table is high.
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Der Preis der alten Firma ist hoch.
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The price of the old firm is high.
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Der Preis des alten Hauses ist hoch.
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The price of the old house is high.
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Adjectives used with "the" and plural nouns take -en.
Der Preis der alten Tische ist hoch.
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The price of the old tables is high.
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Der Preis der alten Firmen ist hoch.
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The price of the old firms is high.
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Der Preis der alten Häuser ist hoch.
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The price of the old houses is high.
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Adjectives used with ein-words and singular nouns take -en.
Der Preis meines alten Tisches ist hoch.
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The price of my old table is high.
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Der Preis meiner alten Firma ist hoch.
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The price of my old firm is high.
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Der Preis meines alten Hauses ist hoch.
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The price of my old house is high.
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Adjectives used with ein-words and plural nouns take -en.
Der Preis meiner alten Tische ist hoch.
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The price of my old tables is high.
Show
Der Preis meiner alten Firmen ist hoch.
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The price of my old firms is high.
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Der Preis meiner alten Häuser ist hoch.
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The price of my old houses is high.
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Summary: Singular endings (except for female nouns) are -(e)s/-er/-(e)s. Plural endings of "the" and ein-words are -er. Adjective endings are -en.