most common adjectives in German – German Grammar
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Adjectives describe nouns, and can either precede or follow the noun in German without affecting the meaning of the article. In German, just like English, adjectives can be graded to express comparisons between two (comparative) or more (comparative and superlative) things, places, people or thoughts. Unlike in English, however, adjectives that precede nouns take endings depending on the case, gender and number of that noun.
Common adjectives – most common adjectives in German – German Grammar
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| blau | blue (also: drunk) |
| rot | red |
| grün | green |
| orange | orange |
| lila | purple |
| schwarz | black |
| weiß | white |
| bunt, farbenfroh | colorful |
| schwarzweiß | black and white |
| dunkel | dark |
| stockdunkel | pitch dark/pitch-black |
| hell | bright |
| braun | brown |
| gelb | yellow |
| grau | gray |
| weit | far |
| entfernt | distant |
| weit entfernt | far away |
| nah | near |
| genau | exact |
| offen/geöffnet | open |
| zu/geschlossen | closed |
| lustig | funny |
| schön | beautiful |
| wunderschön | gorgeous |
| der/die/das allerschönste | the most beautiful |
| hübsch | pretty |
| übrig | left over/remaining |
| einfach | simple |
| richtig | right/correct |
| frei | free |
| kostenlos/kostenfrei | free/at no charge |
| toll | great |
| cool | cool |
| geil | cool (also: horny) |
| schick | cool/chic |
| früh | early |
| spät | late |
| alt | old |
| jung | young |
| knapp (‘das war knapp!’) | short (‘that was close’) |
| eng | narrow/tight (clothes) |
| kurz | short |
| lang | long |
| sauber | clear |
| dreckig | dirty/muddy |
| schmutzig | dirty |
| breit | wide |
| schnell | fast |
| blitzschnell | fast as lightning |
| langsam | slow |
| schleunig | speedy |
| steif | stiff |
| schwach | weak |
| stark | strong |
| dick | thick/fat |
| fett | fat |
| fettig | greasy |
| dünn | thin |
| schlank | slim |
| offen (zu) | honest (with) |
| intelligent | intelligent |
| schlau | sly/sharp |
| klug | smart |
| vernünftig | reasonable/sensible |
| dumm | stupid/dumb |
| blöd | foolish/stupid |
| doof | dumb |
| schüchtern | shy |
| oberflächlich | superficial |
| scheu | shy |
| interessant | interesting |
| schwul | gay |
| hetero(a) | straight |
| schwül | humid/stuffy |
| feucht | humid/moist |
| warm | warm |
| heiß | hot |
| kalt | cold |
| eiskalt | ice cold/freezing |
| eisig | icy/frosty |
| frisch | fresh (food)/cool (tempearture) |
| kühl | cool |
| neblig | foggy |
| regnerisch | rainy |
| reif | ripe (also: mature) |
| ausreichend | adequate/sufficient |
| genügend | adequate/sufficient |
| mangelhaft | inadequate/deficient |
| ausgezeichnet | excellent |
| gut | good |
| besser | better |
| der/die/das beste | the best |
| der/die/das allerbeste | the very best |
| gutaussehend | good-looking |
| feuerfest | fire-proof |
| Promi- | VIP |
| tapfer/mutig | brave |
| versehentlich | accidental |
| zuverlässig | reliable |
| zuversichtlich | confident |
| ruhig | calm/quiet |
| schweigsam | silent (person) |
| respektlos | disrespectful |
| brav | good (child, animal) |
| gemein | mean |
| fies | mean/nasty |
| mies | mean/nasty |
| schlecht | bad (also: sick) |
| schlimm | bad |
| übel | evil (also: sick) |
| böse | evil (also: angry, bad [child]) |
| zwanglos | casual/informal |
| formell | formal |
| sauer | sour (also: angry/bitter) |
| stocksauer | furious |
| wütend | angry |
| süß | sweet (food)/cute (person) |
| lieb | dear/sweet (person) |
| teuer | expensive |
| sauteuer | expensive as heck |
| billig | cheap |
| preiswert | inexpensive |
| zäh | tough |
| salzig | salty |
| scharf | spicy |
| lecker | tasty |
| köstlich | delicious |
| satt | full (having eaten enough) |
| krank | sick |
| grippig – ‘Ich fühle mich grippig’ | flu – ‘I feel like I have the flu’ |
| ansteckend | contagious |
| schwindlig | dizzy |
| wacklig | wobbly/(also: groggy) |
| schmerzhaft | painful |
| wund | sore |
| blind | blind |
| taub | deaf |
| behindert | disabled |
| gelähmt | paralyzed |
| stumm | mute |
| einfallsreich | imaginative/resourceful |
| freundlich | friendly |
| komisch | strange |
| witzig | funny |
| wettbewerbsfähig | competitive |
| kindisch | childish |
| empfindlich | sensitive (also: picky) |
| überempfindlich | hypersensitive |
| rücksichtsvoll | considerate |
| selbstbewusst | self-confident |
| selbstsicher | self-confident |
| aufmerksam | attentaive/observant |
| bekannt | well known |
| berühmt | famous |
| beliebt | popular |
| populär | popular |
| hochnäsig | snobby/snotty |
| gebildet | educated |
| verbildet | spoiled |
| eingebildet | conceited |
| unverschämt | imprudent/rude |
| beeindruckend | impressive |
| beeindruckt | impressed |
| besonders | special |
| groß | big |
| riesig | huge |
| klein | small |
| winzig | tiny |
| fabelhaft | wonderful |
| großartig | great/wonderful |
| stur | stubborn |
| eigensinnig | opinionated/obstinate |
| spießig | narrow-minded |
| aufgeschlossen | open-minded |
| frankiert | stamped (envelope) |
| gültig | valid |
| endgültig | final/definite |
| neugierig | curious |
| tief | deep |
| hoch | high |
| niedrig | low |
| laut | loud |
| leise | quiet |
| blass | pale |
| bleich | pale |
| besoffen | trashed/inebriated |
| betrunken | drunk |
| normal | normal |
| beschwipst | tipsy |
| nüchtern | sober |
| akzeptabel | acceptable |
| unangebracht | inappropriate |
| angenehm | pleasant |
| unangenehm | unpleasant |
| unaufgefordert | uninvited |
| fassungslos | stunned |
| kräftig | strong/hearty (meal) |
| schwervorstellbar | hard to imagine |
| hinter | back |
| leer | empty |
| voll | full (also: drunk) |
| fertig | finished/ready |
| bereit | ready |
| erfinderisch | inventive/innovative |
| originell | original/creative |
| original | original (the first one) |
| hart | hard/tough |
| schwer | heavy/difficult |
| schwierig | difficult |
| leicht | light/easy |
| einfach | simple |
| trocken | dry |
| nass | wet |
| tropfnass | dripping wet |
| pitschnass | soaking wet |
| klebrig | sticky |
| eklig | gross |
| ekelhaft | disgusting |
| glatt | smooth, slippery |
| rutschig | slippery |
| fließend | fluent |
| irre | crazy (slang) |
| verrückt | crazy |
| wach | awake |
| hellwach | wide awake |
| müde | tired |
| erschöpft | exhausted |
| glücklich | happy |
| froh | glad |
| traurig | sad |
| deprimiert | depressed |
| gespannt | anxious |
| angespannt | tense |
| besonder | special/exceptional |
| üblich | common |
| herzlich | sincere/cordial/hearty |
| seriös | serious |
| ernst/ernsthaft | serious |
| religiös | religious |
| weiter | further, another |
| nächster, nächste, nächstes | next, closest |
| sonstig | other/sundry |
| seltsam | strange |
| täglich | daily |
| heutig | today’s |
| morgig | tomorrow’s |
| gestrig | yesterday’s |
| jetzig | current |
| örtlich | local |
| regional | regional |
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