The first question you might have about learning German is how to pronounce the German articles “the”, “a” and “an”. In German, however, the choices are a little more complex. Instead of two options, you have 11: der, die, das, den, dem, des, ein, eine, einen, einem, and eines. In spite of this, you should not be intimidated by these articles. There are many guidelines that can assist you in making the right choice.
German articles are used in a similar manner to English articles, a and the. In spite of this, they are declined differently depending on the number, gender, and case of their nouns. Based on the number, the case, and the gender of the noun, the inflected form is determined. As with adjectives and pronouns, German articles have the same plural forms for all three genders.
It is important to recognize that German articles and pronouns in the genitive and dative cases clearly indicate ownership and giving without the use of additional words (in fact, this is their function), which can cause English-speaking learners to have difficulty understanding German sentences. For the dative case, the gender matches that of the receiver (not that of the object) and for the genitive case, the gender matches that of the owner.
A genitive form of another pronoun may be used in place of the regular possessive pronouns in some circumstances (e.g. relative clauses). The equivalent English expressions would be, “The king whose army Napoleon had defeated” or “The Himalayas, the highest parts of which have not yet been explored”. As far as number and gender are concerned, they are in agreement with the possessor. In contrast to other pronouns, they do not have any strength. There will be a strong ending to any adjective following them in the phrase.
As with most other aspects of the German language, there are several systematic approaches to learning the different articles. Here is your chance to discover them!
Articles: What Do They Mean?
In other words, articles are words such as “a,” “an,” and “the.” They are used to introduce nouns, which can be people, places, or objects. In English, articles are simple. In contrast, there are over a dozen article options available in German.
Article Declension: How To Choose The Right One
Fortunately, German articles can provide a great deal of additional information. In addition, there are a number of effective methods for remembering which one to use and at what time.
An article in German, for example, can provide additional information about the noun:
- Number – In German, articles indicate whether a noun is singular or plural.
- Gender – An article in German indicates the gender of the noun it precedes.
- Case – Additionally, you can determine which words are the subject, direct object, and indirect object. You will be able to change the word order without changing the meaning if you use the correct articles! We do not have this luxury in English. To make sense, we must follow a specific sentence structure.
This guide will teach you how to correctly use German articles and improve your fluency.
The Difference Between Definite And Indefinite Articles In German
Articles can be categorized into two general categories:
- Definite Articles – English uses the word “the” to refer to a specific person, idea, or object. There are three main definite articles in German: der, die, and das.
- Indefinite Articles – By using the words “a” and “an,” we can refer to more generic individuals, places, or objects. In German, there is no difference between the words ein and eine.
It is often considered one of the most challenging aspects of learning German to use the correct definite and indefinite articles.
The only thing you really need is patience and practice. It is also important to be willing to learn new things.
The German Definite Articles
In German, definite articles differ based on gender, case, and number. Later on, we will explore how to determine the gender of nouns and assign the proper articles.
Let us now examine the following options:
As you can see above, there are three primary definite articles: der, die, and das. It is also possible to use the word “die” in the plural form. A definite article has three cases in addition to its gender: nominative, accusative, and dative. Learn more about the German Case System if you have not already done so.
Here are some simple examples of definite articles in sentences:
Example In German: Der Mann heibt Heinrich.
Translation In English: The man is named Heinrich.
Example In German: Die Frau liest mir das Buch.
Translation In English: The woman reads the book to me.
Example In German: Das Kind gibt dem Lehrer den Apfel.
Translation In English: The child gives the teacher the apple.
We will now examine what happens to adjectives that are used between definite articles and their nouns.
Definite Article Adjective Endings
Additionally, if you wish to add an adjective between the definite article and a noun, you must add an appropriate German ending.
According to the table above, in the nominative and accusative cases, the adjective ending is always ‘e’ for feminine and neuter nouns.
For adjectives following definite articles, the plural ending is ‘en’. The nominative case of masculine words has an ‘e’ ending. In the accusative and dative cases, the ending is ‘en’.
To demonstrate how adjective endings work, we will add some adjectives to the previous example sentences:
Example In German: Der kleine Mann heibt Heinrich.
Translation In English: The small man is named Heinrich.
Example In German: Die nette Frau liest mir das Buch.
Translation In English: The nice woman reads the book to me.
Example In German: Das kleine Kind gibt dem neuen Lehrer den frischen Apfel.
Translation In English: The young child gives the new teacher the fresh apple.
The first example uses the masculine pronoun der Mann. In addition, the subject uses the nominative form with an e-ending. The next example uses die Frau, which is a feminine noun in the nominative case, hence the ‘e’ ending.
Similarly, das Kind is a neuter noun in the nominative case. It also takes an ‘e’ ending. An indirect object receiving an object is dem Lehrer, which takes the dative case and an en ending. It is the direct object, den Apfel, that takes the accusative case and an en ending.
The German Indefinite Articles
In the same way, indefinite German articles vary according to gender and case.
Let us put those indefinite articles into sentences as follows:
Example In German: Ich sehe einen Mann.
Translation In English: I see a man.
Example In German: Wir treffen eine Frau.
Translation In English: We are meeting a woman.
Example In German: Er hat ein Kind.
Translation In English: He has a child.
In all of the examples above, the accusative case is used. Nouns, however, take the form that corresponds to their gender.
Indefinite Article Adjective Endings
As with definite articles, if you want to use an adjective after an article and before a noun, it will require an ending.
In the nominative and accusative cases, the feminine and neuter forms remain unchanged, but only in the dative case do they change. However, masculine articles are the most likely to change.
Example In German: Ich sehe einen alten Mann.
Translation In English: I see an old man.
Example In German: Wir treffen eine reiche Frau in einem hohen Schloss.
Translation In English: We are meeting a rich woman in a tall castle.
Example In German: Er hat ein zweites Kind mit einer anderen Frau.
Translation In English: He has a second child with another woman.
The first sentence uses the accusative case for einen Mann. The adjective alt (old) has an en ending. In addition, eine Frau, also in the accusative case, requires an ‘e’ ending for its adjective reich (rich). Lastly, both the second and third examples end with dative prepositional phrases.
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German Articles Have Genders
There are three genders for German nouns: masculine, feminine, and neuter and the appropriate article is required for each.
However, how can you determine which words belong to which gender? Some noun genders must be memorized, while others can be identified by various combinations of letters.
In the first place, some German nouns have a biological basis for their gender.
Second, most occupational names are available in both masculine and feminine forms, depending on the individual’s gender. Other German nouns, on the other hand, follow grammatical gender patterns.
It is important to note that in English, objects are referred to as “it.” But in German, you use a pronoun that corresponds to the noun’s gender, er, sie, or es.
German Articles: How To Determine Their Gender
While not all German nouns follow a gender rule, certain letter combinations and other guidelines can assist you in selecting the correct gender 9 out of 10 times.
- In German, over 65% of one-syllable words have a masculine gender.
- Second, some suffixes, such as ant, er, and or, are almost always masculine.
- In addition, endings such as heit, keit, and ung are feminine.
- Last but not least, neuter endings include chen, lein, um, and o.
As a result, when you learn new German words, you should also learn their gender. In addition, you will need the gender in order to add the correct endings to several other words within a sentence. The gender of a noun can often be determined by specific clues.
In order to determine whether we need to use der, die, or das, let’s examine these hints in more detail.
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The Article Der And Masculine Nouns
Firstly, the following suffixes tend to indicate masculine gender (right):
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ant:\longrightarrow}}\) Diamant (diamond), Elefant (elephant), Praktikant (intern)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ent:\longrightarrow}}\) Student (student), Patient (patient), Assistent (assistant), Dozent (professor)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{er:\longrightarrow}}\) Fahrer (driver), Maler (painter), Spieler (player)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ich:\longrightarrow}}\) Teppich (carpet), Rettich (radish)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ismus:\longrightarrow}}\) Kapitalismus (capitalism), Tourismus (tourism), Alkoholismus (alcoholism)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ist:\longrightarrow}}\) Kapitalist (capitalist), Tourist (tourist), Kommunist (communist)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ling:\longrightarrow}}\) Zwilling (twin), Frühling (spring)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{or:\longrightarrow}}\) Autor (author), Diktator (dictator),
There are also the following masculine nouns:
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{Seasons:\longrightarrow}}\) der Sommer (the summer), der Herbst (the fall), der Winter (the winter)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{Months:\longrightarrow}}\) der Januar (January), der Februar (February), der März (March)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{Days:\longrightarrow}}\) der Montag (Monday), der Dienstag (Tuesday), der Mittwoch (Wednesday)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{Map\ and\ compass\ directions:\longrightarrow}}\) der Norden (north), der Suden (south), der Westen (west), der Osten (east)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{Cars\ and\ trains:\longrightarrow}}\) der BMW, der Volkswagen, der Mercedes
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{Many\ currencies:\longrightarrow}}\) der Euro, der Dollar, der Cent
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{Most\ mountains\ or\ lakes:\longrightarrow}}\) der Mount Everest, der Mississippi, der Montblanc
By familiarizing yourself with the categories and typical endings of words that tend to have a particular noun gender, you will be able to manage the learning process much more effectively. It is also important to note that German occupations can take either a masculine or feminine form. It is usually followed by er or or in the masculine form.
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The Article Die And Feminine Nouns
Second, below are the tell-tale suffixes of feminine nouns (die):
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{e:\longrightarrow}}\) Blume (flower), Summe (sum), Katze (cat)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ei:\longrightarrow}}\) Polizei (police), Datei (data), Konditorei (confectionary)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{heit:\longrightarrow}}\) Freiheit (freedom), Gesundheit (health), Sicherheit (security)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ie:\longrightarrow}}\) Garantie (guarantee), Fantasie (fantasy), Ökonomie (economy)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ik:\longrightarrow}}\) Grammatik (grammar), Mathematik (math), Musik (music)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ion:\longrightarrow}}\) Nation (nation), Funktion (function), Produktion (production)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ität:\longrightarrow}}\) Nationalität (nationality), Autorität (authority), Spontaneität (sponteneity)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{keit:\longrightarrow}}\) Aufmerksamkeit (attention), Schwierigkeit (difficulty)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{schaft:\longrightarrow}}\) Freundschaft (friendship), Landschaft (landscape), Gemeinschaft (community)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ung:\longrightarrow}}\) Erfahrung (experience), Empfehlung (recommendation), Zeitung (newspaper)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ur:\longrightarrow}}\) Natur (nature), Kultur (culture), Agentur (agency)
There are also the following feminine nouns:
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{Names\ of\ flowers:\longrightarrow}}\) die Rose (rose), die Tulpe (tulip)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{Names\ of\ trees:\longrightarrow}}\) die Kiefer (pine), die Buche (beech), die Eiche (oak)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{Most\ fruits:\longrightarrow}}\) die Birne (pear), die Zitrone (lemon), die Melone (melon)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{Cardinal\ numbers:\longrightarrow}}\) die Eins (one), die Zwei (two), die Drei (three)
The ending-in is also added to feminine occupations.
Among the examples are die Lehrerin (the female teacher), die Professorin (the female professor), die Fotografin (the female photographer), and die Kellnerin (the female waitress).
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The Article Das And Neuter Nouns
Finally, the endings below indicate nouns that are neuter (das).
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{chen:\longrightarrow}}\) Mädchen (girl), Häuschen (little house),
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{lein:\longrightarrow}}\) Häuslein (little house), Mäuslein (little mouse), Fräulein (young woman)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ma:\longrightarrow}}\) Thema (topic), Drama (drama), Schema (diagram)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{ment:\longrightarrow}}\) Moment (moment), Dokument (document), Experiment (experiment)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{nis:\longrightarrow}}\) Geheimnis (secret), Gefängnis (jail), Kenntnis (knowledge)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{tel:\longrightarrow}}\) Hotel (hotel), Viertel (quarter)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{tum:\longrightarrow}}\) Eigentum (property), Königtum (kingdom), Christentum (Christianity)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{um:\longrightarrow}}\) Aquarium (aquarium), Museum (museum)
The rules are not absolute, however, and there are exceptions.
like- die Firma (company), der Reichtum (wealth), der Irrtum (mistake), der Zement (cement)
Compound Noun Genders
A number of German words combine multiple nouns into a single word.
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{die\ Baustelle:\longrightarrow}}\) construction site
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{der\ Fahrplan:\longrightarrow}}\) the timetable
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{das\ Kinderbuch:\longrightarrow}}\) children’s book
The gender of a compound noun is usually determined by the last word of the compound noun. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, as is usual.
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{der\ Teil\ (part):\longrightarrow}}\) Some compound nouns taking Part include das Gegenteil (opposite), das Einzelteil (individual part), das Abteil (compartment), das Oberteil (top piece), das Ersatzteil (replacement part), das Urteil (verdict).
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{der\ Mut\ (courage):\longrightarrow}}\) Several compound nouns containing the word Mut contain feminine articles, for example, die Armut (poverty), die Wehmut (sorrow), die Demut (humility), die Anmut (grace), die Grossmut (generosity), and die Langmut (patience).
In addition, there are many other exceptions to the noun gender rules. However, following the guidelines when in doubt will work approximately 80% of the time.
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Plural German Articles
I would like to take a moment to explain how plural articles work in German. The article die is always used in the nominative and accusative cases of plural nouns.
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{das\ Mädchen\ -the\ girl:\longrightarrow}}\) die Mädchen (the girls)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{der\ Junge\ -the\ boy:\longrightarrow}}\) die Jungs/Jungen (the boys)
- \(\mathbf{\color{red}{der\ Mann\ -the\ man:\longrightarrow}}\) die Männer (the men)
But in the dative plural case, die changes to den.
Example In German: Ich gab den Mädchen Hausaufgaben.
Translation In English: I gave the girls homework.
Example In German: Wir waren überrascht, von den Jungs zu hören.
Translation In English: We were surprised to hear from the boys.
A definite article’s plural ending is ‘en’ in the nominative, accusative, and dative cases when declining adjectives.
Example In German: die amerikanischen Mädchen.
Translation In English: the American girls.
Example In German: Ich gab den faulen Mädchen Hausaufgaben.
Translation In English: I gave the lazy girls homework.
It is also important to know whether a noun is plural or singular when learning the genders of German words.
The noun Mädchen (girl) is the same in the singular and plural forms. In this case, the only way to determine the meaning of the sentence is to examine the articles.
Articles In German Are Affected By The Case
If you wish to choose the appropriate article declension, you will need to know the number, case, and gender of the article. As a result, you have already learned how number and gender affect articles. However, what about the cases?
Let’s examine German articles from a slightly different perspective to see how they vary according to the context.
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The Nominative Case
The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence. There is no difference between the feminine and plural articles.
An example would be:
Example In German: Der/Ein Student lernt schnell.
Translation In English: The/A student learns fast.
Example In German: Die/Eine Blume ist rot.
Translation In English: The/A flower is red.
Example In German: Das/Ein Thema ist langweilig.
Translation In English: The/A topic is boring.)
In all of the above sentence subjects, definite and indefinite articles are used in the nominative case.
The Accusative Case
In addition, direct objects of sentences should be referred to as accusative case articles. The direct object of a sentence is the word that receives the action of the verb.
Accusative Case Articles
The nominative, accusative, and plural forms of neuter and feminine nouns include the same articles. Only the masculine form has changed so far: der becomes den and ein becomes eins.
Example In German: Ich (nominative) kaufe den/einen Tisch (accusative).
Translation In English: I buy the/a table.
Example In German: Ein Fahrer (nominative) liefert die/eine Zeitung (accusative).
Translation In English: A driver delivers the/a newspaper.
Example In German: Meine Mutter (nominative) liest das/ein Buch (accusative).
Translation In English: My mother reads the/a book.)
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The Dative Case In German
Thirdly, the dative case undergoes the most drastic changes. For indirect objects of a sentence, use the dative. The indirect object is usually the person or thing that is affected by the direct object.
The masculine and neuter articles are the same in the dative case, making them easier to remember. As a result, the feminine articles change into what appears to be the masculine nominative.
Example In German: Der Mann (nominative masculine) gibt den Anzug (accusative masculine) der Reinigung (dative feminine).
Translation In English: The man gives the suit to the dry cleaner.
Example In German: Die Professorin (nominative feminine) gibt dem Student (dative masculine) das Buch (accusative neuter).
Translation In English: The professor gives the student the book.
It is now time for the exciting part. As long as you use the correct articles to indicate the direct and indirect objects, you are permitted to mix up the word order in German.
Example In German: Der Mann (nominative masculine) gibt der Reinigung (dative feminine) den Anzug (accusative masculine).
Translation In English: The man gives the suit to the dry cleaner.
Example In German: Die Professorin (nominative feminine) gibt das Buch (accusative neuter) dem Student (dative masculine).
Translation In English: The professor gives the student the book.
You can place the direct and indirect objects in either position in the sentence, despite the fact that the subject is typically placed in the first position.
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Possessive Articles
In English, we indicate possession by adding an ‘s to a name or a person’s name. In order to indicate that something belongs to someone in German, you will need possessive articles. For masculine and neuter forms, you will also need an ‘s’ or an ‘es’ ending.
Just as in the dative case, the masculine and neuter forms are identical.
Examples include:
Example In German: das Fahrrad des Mannes.
Translation In English: The man’s bicycle
Example In German: die Jacke der Frau.
Translation In English: The woman’s jacket
Example In German: das Geheimnis des Hotels.
Translation In English: The hotel’s secret.
One-syllable words ending in ‘es’ and multiple-syllable words ending in ‘s’ are usually masculine and neuter.
How To Learn German Articles
Here are a few tips to help you learn German articles more efficiently:
- The first step is to learn nouns and their genders together.
- The neuter, feminine, and plural articles remain the same in both the nominative and accusative cases.
- Furthermore, both masculine and neuter articles, as well as definite and indefinite articles, are used in the dative and possessive cases.
- Last but not least, the feminine indefinite articles are the same in the dative and possessive cases.
- Even though learning German articles requires some memorization of charts, the similarities are easily discernible.
By creating connections between the articles and their uses, you will be able to select the correct articles with ease.
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FAQs
What are the 3 main German articles?
In German we have three main articles (gender of nouns): der (masculine), die (feminine), and das (neuter).
How do you identify articles in German?
Nouns are words that name thing, places, ideas, processes, or living creatures, and in German, they’re always written with a capital letter. As in English, German nouns are often preceded by the definite (the) or indefinite article (a/an) or another determiner (e.g. some/any), as well as an adjective or two.
Is there a rule for articles in German?
In the German language, there are three definite articles for nouns in singular: der for masculine nouns, die for feminine nouns, and das for neutral nouns. German native speakers know mostly intuitively what the article of each noun is. However, non-native speakers need to memorize the articles.
How can I practice German articles?
The best way to practice is to listen to them used correctly and then try to use them yourself. Listening to native audio is a great way to practice. If you’re a beginner try listening to a German radio station, video, or podcast and pick out all the nouns you know, making note of which article they’re used with.
Conclusion
Now that you have mastered German articles, it is time to put them to use! When it comes to article declension, practice makes perfect.
For a better understanding of German articles, consider watching German movies or TV series with subtitles.
Furthermore, reading in German is a fantastic way to become more comfortable with the articles and the language in general.
With this knowledge, you will be able to speak German with greater confidence and accuracy.