Adjectives Used as Nouns

Level 4

Leave out the noun and let the adjective stand for it: déi Jonk (young people), eist Klengt (our little one), de Verantwortlechen (the person in charge). It gets a capital letter but keeps its adjective ending.

How It Works

1. The idea
An adjective can stand for a person or a thing. Like any noun it is capitalized, but it keeps the adjective endings:

  • déi jonk Leit → déi Jonk (young people)
  • eist klengt Kand → eist Klengt (our little one)
  • de verantwortleche Mann → de Verantwortlechen (the person in charge)

2. The endings

  • Masculine: -en, as in adjective endings masculine: de Kranken (the sick man), de Verantwortlechen. The n follows the n-rule: mam Verantwortleche schwätzen.
  • Neuter: -t, as in adjective endings neuter -t: dat Klengt (the little one, the baby). After eppes, näischt, vill and wéineg you will also see -es: eppes Neits or eppes Neies (something new), näischt Wichteges (nothing important).
  • Plural with an article: no ending, as in adjective endings feminine and plural: déi Jonk, déi Al (old people).
  • A few also have a plural in -er: zwee Billjeeë fir Erwuessener (two tickets for adults).
  • Dative: -en, as in adjective endings in the dative: dem Kranken, vun den Erwuessenen.

3. Which article?
Before an adjective, the feminine, neuter and plural article is déi or dat, not d': déi Jonk, dat Klengt. That stays the same when the adjective stands alone.

4. Some useful expressions

  • Jonk an Al (young and old, everyone)
  • dat Bescht (the best): Mir hunn eist Bescht gemaach.
  • A few words have become ordinary nouns, such as de Bekannten (the acquaintance). The dictionary lists these with their own forms.

5. When it stays small
A superlative with am is not a noun, so it keeps a small letter: Et wier am beschten, wann ... (It would be best if ...)

Examples (6)

  1. Déi Jonk hunn et dacks schwéier, eng Wunneng ze fannen.

    Young people often find it hard to find a flat.

    Jonk stands for jonk Leit, so it has no ending, like any plural adjective after déi.

  2. Eist Klengt schwëmmt schonn ouni Äermercher.

    Our little one already swims without armbands.

    Klengt has the neuter ending -t because it stands for Kand.

  3. Ech wëll mam Verantwortleche schwätzen.

    I want to talk to the person in charge.

    The masculine ending -en loses its n before s by the n-rule.

  4. Den Dokter besicht de Kranken.

    The doctor visits the sick man.

  5. Dat Fest bréngt Jonk an Al zesummen.

    The festival brings young and old together.

  6. Hues du eppes Neies héieren?

    Have you heard anything new?

    After eppes, the adjective is capitalized. Eppes Neits is also correct.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing the adjective with a small letter when it stands for a noun.

    Déi jonk hunn et dacks schwéier.
    Déi Jonk hunn et dacks schwéier.

    Here jonk stands for young people, so it is a noun and needs a capital letter.

  • Leaving out the masculine ending.

    Den Dokter besicht de Krank.
    Den Dokter besicht de Kranken.

    The word keeps the ending it would have before a masculine noun: de kranke Mann, so de Kranken.

  • Capitalizing a superlative with am.

    Et wier am Beschten, wann s de doheem bleifs.
    Et wier am beschten, wann s de doheem bleifs.

    Am beschten describes how something is. It does not stand for a noun, so it stays small.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Adjectives Used as NounsLevel 4

Learn This First

Before Adjectives Used as Nouns, learn Adjective Endings in the Dative.