German A1 · Articles & Nouns
Bestimmter Artikel (der/die/das) – A1 German Grammar
The definite article (der/die/das)
Every German noun has a gender. The definite article ("the") shows this gender:
| Gender | Article | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | der | der Mann |
| feminine | die | die Frau |
| neuter | das | das Kind |
Example: Der Mann ist groß. (The man is tall.) Die Frau liest. (The woman reads.) Das Kind spielt. (The child plays.)
Always learn every new noun together with its article.
Small hints for the gender
- der: often male persons, days, months (der Vater, der Montag).
- die: often female persons, words ending in -ung, -heit, -keit (die Zeitung, die Freiheit).
- das: often diminutives ending in -chen/-lein (das Mädchen, das Brötchen).
Common mistakes
- ❌ die Mann → ✅ der Mann.
- ❌ der Frau → ✅ die Frau.
- ❌ der Mädchen → ✅ das Mädchen (neuter because of -chen, despite meaning "girl").