Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

This A1 lesson covers the nominative case of definite articles der (masculine), die (feminine/plural), das (neuter) and indefinite articles ein (masculine/neuter), eine (feminine). Learn to identify and use these articles correctly with nouns like Mann, Stadt, Auto to indicate gender and number.
  1. The definite articles „der, die, das“ are used when talking about something specific or known.
  2. The indefinite articles „ein, eine“ are used when talking about something general or unknown.
  3. Articles are always written in lowercase, except at the beginning of a sentence.
 Bestimmter Artikel (Definite article)Unbestimmter Artikel (Indefinite article)
Maskulin (Masculine)der (the)ein (definite article)
Feminin (Feminine)die (the)eine (a)
Neutrum (Neuter)das (Definite Article Indefinite Article)ein (definite article)
Plural (Plural)die (the)- (kein Artikel) (- (no article))

Exceptions!

  1. In the plural, there is no indefinite article in German. Example: „Ich habe Bücher.“
  2. No article is used before city names and most country names. Example: „Ich wohne in Deutschland. Ich wohne in Hamburg.”

Exercise 1: Bestimmte und unbestimmte Artikel - Nominativ

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

Der, Die, ein, Ein, Eine, Das

1. Unbestimmt:
... Stadt in Deutschland ist Freiburg.
(A city in Germany is Freiburg.)
2. Bestimmt :
... Schweiz ist in Europa.
(Switzerland is in Europe.)
3. Bestimmt :
... Name kommt aus Mexiko.
(The name comes from Mexico.)
4. Unbestimmt :
... Hauptstadt liegt in der Türkei.
(A capital city is located in Turkey.)
5. Bestimmt :
... Land heißt Spanien.
(The country is called Spain.)
6. Bestimmt :
... Antwort ist Frankreich.
(The answer is France.)
7. Unbestimmt :
... Bewohner kommt aus Dänemark.
(A resident comes from Denmark.)
8. Unbestimmt :
Spanien ist ... Land in Europa.
(Spain is a country in Europe.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ich komme aus ___ kleinen Stadt in Bayern.

(I come from ___ small town in Bavaria.)

2. Das ist ___ Mann, der in Berlin wohnt.

(That is ___ man who lives in Berlin.)

3. Ich habe ___ neues Auto gekauft.

(I bought ___ new car.)

4. Sie sind ___ Studenten an der Universität.

(They are ___ students at the university.)

5. Wir wohnen in ___ schönen Stadt München.

(We live in ___ beautiful city of Munich.)

6. Hat er ___ Schwester oder ___ Bruder?

(Does he have ___ sister or ___ brother?)

Introduction to Definite and Indefinite Articles in the Nominative Case

This lesson covers the basic use of definite and indefinite articles in German, focusing on the nominative case. Articles are small but important words that give information about the gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and number (singular or plural) of a noun. Understanding these articles helps you form correct and natural sentences.

Definite Articles (Bestimmte Artikel)

Definite articles in German are der (masculine), die (feminine), das (neuter), and die (plural). Use these when you talk about a specific person, place, or thing that is already known or has been mentioned before. For example:

  • Das ist der Mann, der in Berlin wohnt.
  • Wir wohnen in der schönen Stadt München.

Indefinite Articles (Unbestimmte Artikel)

Indefinite articles are ein (masculine and neuter) and eine (feminine). Use these when you talk about something unspecific or unknown. In the plural, there is no indefinite article in German. For example:

  • Ich habe ein neues Auto gekauft.
  • Ich komme aus einer kleinen Stadt in Bayern.
  • Ich habe Bücher. (no article in plural)

Gender and Number Overview

Definite ArticleIndefinite Article
Masculinederein
Femininedieeine
Neuterdasein
Pluraldie(no article)

Additional Notes on Usage

Articles in German are always written in lowercase, except at the beginning of a sentence. Also, articles are generally not used before most city and country names, for example: Ich wohne in Deutschland. Ich wohne in Hamburg.

Differences Between English and German Articles

Unlike English, German articles change according to the gender and number of the noun. English uses "the" as the only definite article, whereas German has der, die, and das. The indefinite articles in English are "a" and "an," while in German they are either ein or eine. Furthermore, English indefinite articles never change with gender, but in German they agree with the noun's gender.

Useful phrases:

  • der Mann – the man (masculine)
  • die Frau – the woman (feminine)
  • das Kind – the child (neuter)
  • ein Buch – a book (neuter)
  • eine Stadt – a city (feminine)

Remembering these articles correctly will help you build simple and accurate sentences in German.

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Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 11:23