The German Articles Der, Die and Das: An Essential Guide
The Basics of Der, Die and Das
As soon as you start learning your first German nouns, you will come across the definite articles der, die, and das. All three of them translate to “the” in English. But in actual fact, there are 16 different ways to write them.
But before you panic, let’s take it step by step and understand why there are so many different ways to say “the” in the German language.
When to Use Der, Die and Das in German
First of all you need to know that der, die, and das are each assigned to a different grammatical gender. “Der” is the masculine gender, “die” is the feminine gender, and “das” is neutral. And then we also use “die” for plural.
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Ways to Know the Gender of Any German Noun
There are certain rules that will help you identify the gender of nouns. The good news is, this will help you out a lot. The bad news is: Not always! For many nouns, you will just have to memorize the gender, without there being any logic to it. But let’s focus on those rules first.
Masculine Nouns
Masculine nouns use the definite article “der”. Let’s take a look which categories always use the masculine gender.
Professions
In German, there is always a masculine and feminine version of a profession. When you talk about a male person’s profession, you would use the definite article “der”. Let’s take a look at a few examples:
der Pilot (the male pilot), der Lehrer (the male teacher), der Software-Entwickler (the male software developer), der Fußballspieler (the male soccer player), der Erzieher (the kindergarten teacher), der Busfahrer (the male bus driver), der Geschäftsführer (the male CEO), der Mechatroniker (the male mechatronics technician), der Verkäufer (the male sales associate)
Seasons
der FrĂĽhling (the spring), der Sommer (the summer), der Herbst (the fall/autumn), der Winter (the winter)
Months
der Januar (January), der Februar (February), der März (March), der April (April), der Mai (May), der Juni (June), der Juli (July), der August (August), der September (September), der Oktober (October), der November (November), der Dezember (December)
Days of the Week
der Montag (Monday), der Dienstag (Tuesday), der Mittwoch (Wednesday), der Donnerstag (Thursday), der Freitag (Friday), der Samstag (Saturday), der Sonntag (Sunday)
Compass Directions
der Norden (the North), der SĂĽden (the South), der Westen (the West), der Osten (the East), der Nordosten (the North East), der SĂĽdwesten (the South West), der Nordwesten (the North West)
Precipitation
der Regen (the rain), der Hagel (the hail), der Schnee (the snow), der Donner (the thunder), der Blitz (the lightning)
Names of Car Brands
der Audi, der Ford, der VW, der Tesla
Names of Alcoholic Beverages
der Whiskey (the whiskey), der Cocktail (the cocktail), der Wein (the wine), der Champagner (the champagne), der Cognac (the cognac), der Schnaps (the schnaps)
However, it is “das Bier” (the beer)
When Nouns with the Suffix -Er Are Derived from Verbs
der Spieler (the player), der Mitarbeiter (the employee), der Fernseher (the TV)
Words that End in -ismus
der Kapitalismus (the capitalism), der Journalismus (the journalism), der Egoismus (the egoism), der Rassismus (the racism)
Most Nouns with the Suffix -ant
der Elefant (the elephant), der Praktikant (the intern)
For pronunciation practice and tips from an expert native speaker, check out this video about the German definite article “der” with Jenny:
Feminine Nouns
Feminine nouns use the definite article “die.” Let’s explore the noun categories that typically use the feminine gender in German.
Professions
In German, professions have both masculine and feminine versions. For female professionals, the definite article “die” is used. Here are some examples:
die Pilotin (the female pilot), die Lehrerin (the female teacher), die Software-Entwicklerin (the female software developer), die Ärztin (the female doctor), die Fußballspielerin (the female soccer player), die Erzieherin (the female kindergarten teacher), die Busfahrerin (the female bus driver), die Geschäftsführerin (the female CEO), die Mechatronikerin (female mechatronics technician), die Verkäuferin (the female sales associate)
Natural Elements
die Sonne (the sun), die Wolke (the cloud), die Erde (the earth), die Brise (the breeze)
Names of Motorcycles
die Harley-Davidson, die Yamaha
Names of Ships and Airplanes
die Titanic, die Bismarck, die Boeing 747
Most Nouns Ending in -e
die Blume (flower), die Grenze (the border/the limit), die Lunge (the lung), die Lampe (lamp), die Maschine (machine), die Tasche (bag), die Reise (journey)
der Löwe (the lion) and der Junge (the boy) are exceptions.
Nouns Ending in -heit, -keit, -ung, -schaft, -ion, -ik, -ur, -tät, -ade
die Freiheit (freedom), die Sicherheit (the safety/security), die Möglichkeit (possibility), die Schnelligkeit (the velocity), die Ahnungslosigkeit (the ignorance), die Rechnung (bill), die Zeitung (the newspaper), die Wissenschaft (science), die Freundschaft, die Mannschaft (the team), die Information (information), die Diskussion, die Organisation (the organization), die Musik (music), die Kritik (the criticism), die Kultur (culture), die Reparatur (the repair), die Universität (university), die Identität (the identity), die Qualität (the quality), die Marmelade (the jam)
Names of Most Plants and Trees
die Tulpe (the tulip), die Rose (the rose), die Birke (the birch tree), die Eiche (the oak tree), die Fichte (the spruce tree)
Understanding these patterns will help you determine the correct definite article to use with feminine German nouns. While there are exceptions, these rules are a helpful guide for mastering the German grammatical gender.
Need helping pronouncing and remembering these new words? Watch Jenny’s video on the German definite article “die” to help you out:
Neuter Nouns
Neuter nouns use the definite article “das.” Let’s explore the categories of nouns that typically use the neuter gender in German.
Young People and Animals
Young people and animals often use the neuter article “das.” Here are some examples:
das Baby (baby), das Kind (child), das Mädchen (girl), das Lamm (lamb), das Kalb (calf),
Metals and Chemical Elements
das Gold (gold), das Silber (silver), das Eisen (iron), das Kupfer (copper), das Helium (helium), das Aluminium (the aluminum), das Blei, das Uran
There are six exceptions: der Kohlenstoff (carbon), der Stickstoff (nitrogen), der Schwefel (sulfur), der Phosphor (phosphorus), der Wasserstoff (hydrogen), der Sauerstoff (oxygen)
Letters of the Alphabet
das A (the letter A), das B (the letter B)
Most Countries and Cities
das Deutschland (Germany), das Paris (Paris), das Tokio (Tokyo)
Infinitives Used as Nouns
Infinitive verbs used as nouns always use the neuter article “das”:
das Essen (eating/food), das Trinken (drinking), das Schreiben (writing), das Rauchen (smoking), das Tanzen (dancing)
Nouns Ending in -chen and -lein
Diminutives ending in -chen and -lein are always neuter:
das Mädchen (the girl), das Bierchen (the little beer), das Kätzchen (the little cat), das Häuschen (the little house)
Nouns Ending in -ment
das Instrument (the instrument), das Experiment (the experiment), das Dokument (the document), das Parlament (the parliament)
Nouns Ending in -um
das Zentrum (the center), das Datum (the date), das Publikum (the audience), das Museum (the museum)
Names of Hotels, Cafes, and Theaters
das Hilton (the Hilton Hotel), das Ritz (the Ritz Hotel), das Café Klein (the Klein Café), das Theater (the theater)
Scientific Terms
das Element (element), das MolekĂĽl (molecule), das Atom (atom), das Proton (proton)
Nouns with the Suffix -o are mostly neutral
das Auto (the car), das Konto (the account), das Foto (the photo)
Understanding these patterns will help you determine the correct definite article to use with neuter nouns in German. While exceptions exist, these rules are a helpful guide for mastering German grammar.
If you need more tips and pronunciation practice for nouns with the definite article “das”, don’t miss Jenny’s video:
Der, Die, Das & the German Case System
Now that we have a better idea how to identify the gender of German nouns, let’s focus on the case system. Let’s review the four German cases:
German has four grammatical cases: Nominative, Accusative, Dative, and Genitive.
- Nominative: Used for the subject of a sentence.
- Example: Der Hund isst. (The dog is eating.)
- Accusative: Used for the direct object of a sentence.
- Example: Ich sehe den Hund. (I see the dog.)
- Dative: Used for the indirect object.
- Example: Ich gebe dem Hund einen Knochen. (I am giving the dog a bone.)
- Genitive: Used to show possession.
- Example: Das ist der Napf des Hundes. (That is the dog’s bowl.)
Understanding these cases is crucial for proper sentence structure and meaning in German.
The Der Die Das Chart
Now, that we know how to identify the German cases, we need to know how these cases influence the articles of nouns. In German, articles, nouns and pronouns change their spelling depending on the case being used. These changes are also called declensions.
Wouldn’t it be so fun if we only had to learn the four articles der, die, das, and die? Unfortunately, we have to dig a bit deeper.
You have learned that the German language has four cases. Der, die, das, and die can be used in the nominative, the accusative, the dative and the genitive case. Four times four equals sixteen. 🙂
Let’s take a look at the declension chart of the German articles der, die, and das:
The definite article “der”, which is masculine is used for the subjects in a sentence.
Der Garten ist schön. (The backyard is beautiful.)
Der Junge schläft. (The boy is sleeping.)
Der Kater miaut. (The cat is meowing.)
The definite article “den”, which is also masculine is used for the direct object in a sentence.
Ich bewundere den Garten. (I am admiring the backyard.)
Ich kenne den Jungen. (I know the boy.)
Ich sehe den Kater. (I see the male cat.)
The definite article “dem” can be masculine or neutral and is used for the indirect object in a sentence.
Ich gebe dem Hund etwas zu trinken. (I am giving the dog something to drink.)
Ich zeige dem Gast die KĂĽche. (I am showing the kitchen to the guest.)
Ich erkläre dem Mädchen die Matheaufgabe. (I am explaining the math problem to the girl.)
The definite article “des” is used for masculine or neutral nouns.
Das Hemd des Mannes ist kariert. (The man’s tie is checkered.)
Die Schuhe des Mädchens sind schmutzig. (The girl’s shoes are dirty.)
Die Jacke des Mannes ist schwarz. (The man’s jacket is black.)
Final Thoughts
While it may seem daunting at first, understanding the rules and patterns behind the German definite articles will take you to a whole new level of German proficiency.
Whether it’s identifying the masculine professions, the feminine natural elements, or the neuter young animals, each category will broaden your vocabulary and give you the key to mastering those German genders.
Remember, while exceptions may challenge you, the rules and guidelines provided here serve as invaluable tools on your path to German fluency.
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We provide you with high quality audiovisual content – designed by native speakers – and tons of exercises to give you the best and most comprehensive language learning experience possible.
