Explanation
Every German noun has a grammatical gender: masculine (der), feminine (die), or neuter (das). Articles must match the gender of the noun. Gender must often be memorised — it does not always follow logical rules.
Rules
Definite articles (the):
| Gender | Article |
|---|---|
| Masculine | der |
| Feminine | die |
| Neuter | das |
| Plural (all) | die |
Indefinite articles (a/an):
| Gender | Article |
|---|---|
| Masculine | ein |
| Feminine | eine |
| Neuter | ein |
| Plural | — (no article) |
Negative articles (no/not a):
| Gender | Article |
|---|---|
| Masculine | kein |
| Feminine | keine |
| Neuter | kein |
| Plural | keine |
Tip: Learn every noun with its article. E.g. der Hund, not just Hund.
Examples
- Der Hund ist groß. — The dog is big. (masculine)
- Die Katze schläft. — The cat sleeps. (feminine)
- Das Kind spielt. — The child plays. (neuter)
- Ein Mann steht dort. — A man stands there.
- Ich habe keine Zeit. — I have no time.
Related Vocabulary
Exceptions
Some endings reliably predict gender:
- -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -tion → always feminine (die)
- -chen, -lein → always neuter (das)
- -er (agent nouns) → usually masculine (der Lehrer)
Notes
Articles change form based on case. The table above shows nominative forms only. For the complete cross-case reference grid, see Declensions. For what each case means, see Nominative Case, Accusative Case, Dative Case.