"The little girl plays on the big drum."

Translation: Das kleine Mädchen spielt auf der großen Trommel.

[simopr1]

warum Kleine and no Klein? DAS!

[Max.Em]

Attributive adjectives, i.e. those in front of the nouns they refer to, always get a proper ending/declension. It would be klein without an ending only if it would be a predicative adjective, that is an adjective connected by verb like ist/sind/wird, for example "Das Mädchen ist klein und spielt auf der Trommel, die groß ist". Regardless of the gender der/die/das.

[simopr1]

Thanks! very helpful

[KristinaZolatova]

Why would it not be Das kleine Mädchen spielt auf der großer Trommel? Why the "n" ending for große since Trommel is a singular feminine noun?

[lmg190210]

I was also stuck on this. There is an answer in https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/812534 "dankedonkey
Adjectives that have an article in front of it that is different from its nominative form (mein-meinen) always carry a -en at the end.

http://www.nthuleen.com/teach/grammar/adjektivendungenexpl.html" from that page refer to "Question 2: Is the article in the standard, unchanged form?" (it has a mit der example, same applies here)

[StevePrice451726]

Why not "kleines"?

[lmg190210]

From http://www.nthuleen.com/teach/grammar/adjektivendungenexpl.html :

"Keep in mind 1: Something -- either an article (der/ein/dieser/etc.) or the adjective itself -- must show what gender the noun is."

The Das already shows Mädchen is neutral, so it gets an e ending.

If there was no Das in front then you would use Kleines.

[somaque]

why not das kleines? ;-;

[Amir235407]

Why dativ?

[Max.Em]

In general auf is a two-way preposition that can be used with dative or accusative depending on the meaning. Accusative is a motion (onto the drum) while dative is a position (on [top of] the drum).

[Amir235407]

I didn't think spielt would be motion..
Thanks!

.

[Max.Em]

I'm not sure if I got you right.... Spielen should not be a motion in this sense, just to be clear ;-).

[KateOHara10]

Can I check please that this means what we expect, that she is playing the drum, making music with the drum, and not that she is up on top of it just playing a game?

[PhiliWacht]

Duolingo never explains why it mark the same exact response wrong as was entered by the client. Yet it consistently does so.

[JCfeGI]

Is it always 'spielen auf der Trommel' and not 'spielen Trommel' as for other instruments?