German Articles: der die das

On this page, you’ll find valuable tips for determining the correct German articles: der, die, das. Plus, test your knowledge with a quiz.

The three main German articles (gender of nouns):

1. der (masculine),
2. die (feminine) and
3. das (neuter)

Grammatical gender usually doesn’t follow a logical rule. That’s why you should always learn nouns together with their articles.

And applying my Rule No. 1 (which you hopefully already know) makes this so much easier—you’ll naturally pick up the correct articles along the way.

Tip: There are some suffixes that can help determine the article. I’ll explain which ones on this page.

But first, let’s practice some German pronunciation. I’ve recorded a few sentences for you. In my lessons, you’re learning many things at once: the meaning of words, pronunciation, and grammar.

🎓 Listening Exercise: German Articles

How to Learn with Part A of the Exercise

1. Start by looking at the picture.
2. Read the text and listen to the audio a few times.
3. Repeat each phrase after the speaker.
4. Focus on accurately imitating the speaker’s pronunciation.
5. Once you’re comfortable, move on to Part B (further down).

Tip: Always visualize the situations in your mind; this will help you remember the words!

der Mann
the man

Der Mann liest.
The man is reading.

die Frau
the woman

Die Frau isst.
The woman is eating.

der Junge
the boy

Der Junge trinkt.
The boy is drinking.

das Mädchen*
the girl

Das Mädchen schreibt.
The girl is writing.

Note: *das Mädchen

Maybe you wonder why we don’t use the article die when we use the word Mädchen (girl). After all it is a female person, right?

Well, I know it is strange and I explain it here chen in German – Diminutive.

How to find the correct German articles

I don’t recommend memorizing words by heart, but if you prefer to do so, make sure you’re not just learning the nouns alone!

Always remember to learn the accompanying articles: der, die, and das.

German grammatical gender doesn’t follow a strict set of rules, but there are certain noun endings (suffixes) that can give you a clue.

However, be cautious—these clues don’t always apply!

Also, take note of the English endings. Many English and German words are quite similar.

German Nouns with Article: der (list)

-ling

der Häftling (the prisoner)
der Frühling (the spring)
der Flüchtling (the refugee)
der Säugling (the infant)
der Lehrling (the apprentice)
der Zwilling (the twin)

-ist

der Optimist (the optimist)
der Pianist (the pianist)
der Polizist (the policeman)
der Spezialist (the specialist)

-or

der Humor (the humor)
der Doktor (the doctor)
der Tresor (the safe)
der Professor (the professor)
der Motor (the motor)

-ismus

der Egoismus (the egoism)
der Tourismus (the tourism)
der Pazifismus (the pacifism)

-er

der Hörer (the receiver)
der Jäger (the hunter)
der Käfer (the bug, the beetle)
der Körper (the body)
der Tiger (the tiger)
der Bäcker (the baker)
der Donner (the thunder)

German Nouns with Article: die (list)

-keit

die Müdigkeit (the tiredness)
die Süßigkeit (the sweetness, the candy)
die Fähigkeit (the ability)
die Häufigkeit (the frequency)
die Flüssigkeit (the liquid, the fluid)
die Geschwindigkeit (the speed, the velocity)
die Fröhlichkeit (the joyfulness)

-ion

die Portion (the portion)
die Region (the region)
die Station (the station)
die Reaktion (the reaction)
die Situation (the situation)
die Nation (the nation)
die Tradition (the tradition) 

-heit

die Feigheit (the cowardice)
die Schönheit (the beauty)
die Klugheit (the cleverness)
die Blödheit (the stupidity)
die Dummheit (the foolishness)

-enz

die Intelligenz (the intelligence)
die Konsequenz (the consequence)
die Frequenz (the frequency)
die Existenz (the existence)
die Differenz (the difference)
die Tendenz (the tendency)

-tät

die Normalität (the normality)
die Spezialität (the speciality)
die Elektrizität (the electricity)
die Flexibilität (the flexibility)
die Kontinuität (the continuity)

-ung

die Änderung (the change)
die Abteilung (the department)
die Einladung (the invitation)
die Anleitung (the instruction)
die Forschung (the research)

German Nouns with Article: das (list) 

-nis

das Schulzeugnis (the school certificate)
das Gedächtnis (the memory)
das Erlebnis (the experience)
das Geheimnis (the secret)
das Hindernis (the obstacle)

-ment

das Dokument (the document)
das Sortiment (the assortment)
das Zement (the cement)
das Komplement (the complement)
das Medikament (the medication, the medicine)
das Instrument (the instrument)

What are definite articles and how do you use them?

Definite articles are words that we use to talk about a specific thing or person.

They help us describe something precise and known. In German, the definite articles are “der,” “die,” and “das.”

• Der Hund (we know exactly which dog is meant)
• Die Katze (we know which cat is meant)

When do you use definite and indefinite articles?

Definite Articles

Definite articles are used when talking about something that is already known or specifically identified.

Das Auto steht vor dem Haus. (We know which car is meant)

Indefinite Articles

Indefinite articles are ein and eine. They are used when talking about something that is not specifically identified or known.

I explain this in more detail in Lesson 2, which focuses on German indefinite articles.

For example:

• Ein Hund spielt im Garten. (It is not important which dog exactly)
• Eine Katze schläft auf dem Sofa. (It could be any cat, it is not specifically identified)
• Ein Auto steht vor dem Haus. (It could be any car, it is not specifically identified)

Take it now and see how good you are!

⬆️ Up here is the quiz!

Scroll up a little after pressing the start button to see the question.

If you want to dig deeper into the subject matter of the articles, have a look at Collins Dictionary. They also explain the German articles.