Articles – der, die, das, ein, eine
What is an Article?
An article is a small word placed before a noun. It tells us whether we are talking about a specific thing or any thing of that kind.
- Definite article (bestimmter Artikel) — refers to a specific, known thing: the
- Indefinite article (unbestimmter Artikel) — refers to a non-specific thing: a / an
Gender in German
Every German noun has a grammatical gender — masculine, feminine, or neuter. The article you use depends on the gender of the noun.
Unlike English, which uses only the and a/an, German has three forms of the definite article and two forms of the indefinite article:
- der — masculine (maskulin)
- die — feminine (feminin)
- das — neuter (neutral)
You cannot always guess a noun's gender from its meaning — it must be learned together with the noun. Always memorise a new noun with its article.
Quick Overview
| Gender |
|
Definite (The) |
Indefinite (a/an) |
| masculine |
|
der |
ein |
| feminine |
|
die |
eine |
| neuter |
|
das |
ein |
| plural (all genders) |
|
die |
— |
Note: indefinite articles have no plural form. Use the noun alone: Hunde (dogs), Bücher (books).
Definite Articles – der, die, das
Use the definite article when you are talking about something specific and known — both speaker and listener know which one is meant.
Masculine — der
- Der Mann ist groß. (The man is tall.)
- Der Hund schläft. (The dog is sleeping.)
- Der Tisch ist braun. (The table is brown.)
Feminine — die
- Die Frau ist klug. (The woman is smart.)
- Die Katze ist weiß. (The cat is white.)
- Die Schule ist groß. (The school is big.)
Neuter — das
- Das Kind spielt. (The child plays.)
- Das Buch ist neu. (The book is new.)
- Das Auto ist rot. (The car is red.)
Indefinite Articles – ein, eine
Use the indefinite article when introducing something for the first time, or when talking about one of many.
Masculine — ein
- Das ist ein Mann. (That is a man.)
- Hier ist ein Stuhl. (Here is a chair.)
Feminine — eine
- Das ist eine Frau. (That is a woman.)
- Hier ist eine Tür. (Here is a door.)
Neuter — ein
- Das ist ein Kind. (That is a child.)
- Hier ist ein Fenster. (Here is a window.)
Masculine and neuter share the same indefinite article:
ein Mann · ein Kind · eine Frau
Common Noun Genders to Know
While gender must be learned with each noun, certain patterns can help:
| Pattern |
Gender |
Examples |
| nouns ending in -er (people/jobs) |
der |
Lehrer, Vater, Bruder |
| nouns ending in -ung |
die |
Zeitung, Wohnung, Übung |
| nouns ending in -heit / -keit |
die |
Freiheit, Möglichkeit |
| nouns ending in -chen / -lein |
das |
Mädchen, Fräulein |
| most -e nouns |
die |
Katze, Schule, Straße |
Definite vs. Indefinite — Side by Side
Here is how the two article types work in the same sentence:
Ein Mann steht an der Tür.
A man is standing at the door. (first mention — we don't know which man)
Der Mann ist mein Vater.
The man is my father. (now we know exactly which man)
Das ist eine Katze. Die Katze heißt Mia.
That is a cat. The cat is called Mia.
Notice: first mention uses eine, the second reference uses die — the same pattern as English a / the.
Definite Articles
Fill in the correct definite article for each family member. Pay attention to the gender of the noun.
Fill in the correct definite article for each family member. Use the Hint in the task menu if needed.
Fill in the correct definite article (der, die, or das) for each weather-related noun.
Fill in the correct definite article (der, die, or das) for each weather-related noun.
Fill in the correct definite article (der, die, or das) for each location word.
Fill in the correct definite article (der, die, or das) for each location word.
Fill in the correct definite article (der, die, or das) for each workplace noun.
Fill in the correct definite article (der, die, or das) for each workplace noun.
Fill in the correct definite article (der, die, or das) for each noun.
Fill in the correct definite article (der, die, or das) for each noun.
Indefinite Articles
Fill in the correct indefinite article (ein or eine) for each family member. Pay attention to the gender of the noun.
Fill in the correct indefinite article (ein or eine) for each profession. Pay attention to whether the noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter.
Fill in the correct indefinite article (ein or eine) for each piece of furniture.
Fill in the correct indefinite article for each vegetable.
Fill in the correct indefinite article (ein or eine) for each noun. Remember: ein is masculine and neutral, eine is feminine.
Fill in the correct indefinite article ein or eine for each noun. Remember: ein is used for masculine (der) and neutral (das) nouns, while eine is used for feminine (die) nouns.
Fill in the correct indefinite article (ein or eine) for each noun. Remember: ein for masculine and neutral nouns, eine for feminine nouns.
Fill in the correct indefinite article (ein or eine) for each sports and fitness item.
Fill in the correct indefinite article (ein for masculine/neuter, eine for feminine) for each item.
Fill in the correct indefinite article (ein for masculine and neuter, eine for feminine) for each noun.
Fill in the correct indefinite article (ein or eine) for each noun. Remember: ein is used with masculine and neuter nouns, eine with feminine nouns.
Mixed Articles Practice
Fill in the correct article — definite (der/die/das) or indefinite (ein/eine) — based on the sentence.
Fill in the correct article (der, die, das, ein, or eine) for each hobby or leisure activity. Pay attention to the gender of each noun.
Fill in the correct article (der, die, das, ein, or eine) for each food item. Remember: every German noun has a grammatical gender.
Fill in the correct article (der, die, or das) for each piece of furniture or room item. Pay attention to the grammatical gender of each noun.
Fill in the correct article (der, die, das, ein, or eine) for each noun.
Fill in the correct article (der, die, or das) or indefinite article (ein, eine) for common office and workplace nouns.
Fill in the correct definite article (der, die, das) or indefinite article (ein, eine) for nature and weather vocabulary.
Fill in the correct article (der, die, das, ein, eine) for each school-related noun.