Article: part of speech, declension and exercises

German teacher writes topic on blackboard. That sentence doesn’t sound right, does it? Did you realize why? In the sentence, the articles have been omitted.

With articles, the sentence reads as follows: Of the German teacher writes the topic on the Blackboard. Also referred to as «companion», the article comes before a noun or an adjective and thus «accompanies» the noun in the truest sense of the word.

The sentence could also be: Der motivated German teacher writes this new topic to the clean Blackboard. In this case, the articles «der», «das» and «die» would precede the adjectives «motivated», «new» and «clean». The articles still refer to the noun.

The article as part of speech

As can be seen in the introductory sentence, most sentences cannot do without an article. In German, the articles are a central part of the language and are used to form sentences. And whenever nounsoften also called nouns or nouns, are contained in the sentence.

An article is a part of speech that comes before a noun or an adjective. The article adapts grammatically to the noun and thus provides information about the genus (grammatical gender), den number (singular or plural) and den case (case) of the noun.

Living beings such as humans and animals, facts, but also objects – they are referred to in grammar as nouns or nouns. Strictly speaking, however, there is a difference between a noun and a noun. You can find out more about this in the explanation «Noun» on .

Nouns have a grammatical gender – the genus. It is indicated by the article:

male (masculine): e.g. B. the teacher

female (feminine): e.g. B. the blackboard

neuter: e.g. B. the theme

nouns can in Singular (= singular) or im Plural (= plural) stand. The article adapts to the so-called number of the noun to:

Singular: the teacher

Plural: the teacher

⇾ Did you notice that the noun «teacher» hasn’t changed in the plural? Only the article reveals that it is about more than one teacher.

Of the case – also called «case» in German – provides information about the meaning of the nouns in the sentence and their relationship to the other words. As a faithful companion, the article also changes with the case of the nouns.

Nominative – who or what?

The germanteacher write the topic on the blackboard.

Genitive – know?

The lesson of the German teacher deals with the topic «Article».

dative – who or what?

The student gives the German teacher the edited exercise to the articles.

accusative – who or what?

The class persuades the German teachernot to give homework.

Nouns and their articles change according to gender, number and case. This adaptation to the grammatical realities is also called diffraction or inflection designated.

To the so-called inflectible parts of speech counting:

  • Article (e.g. the, the, that)
  • nouns (e.g. teacher, blackboard)
  • Pronouns (e.g. her, his)
  • Adjectives (e.g. new, clean)
  • Verbs (e.g. write)

In the case of articles, nouns, pronouns and adjectives, the inflection becomes too declination called. The inflection of verbs is called conjugation.

But there are also parts of speech that – regardless of the sentence in which they are integrated – Don `t change. Non-inflectable parts of speech include:

  • Adverbs (e.g. there, monthly)
  • Prepositions (e.g. in, of)
  • Conjunctions (e.g. and, but)
  • Numerals (e.g. four, some)
  • Interjections (e.g. oops, ach)

Would you like to refresh your knowledge of parts of speech? Then click on the «Parts of speech» explanation or look at the detailed explanations of the individual parts of speech on .

Do you eat the ice cream or an ice cream? Do you paint the lake or a lake? And are you playing the game or a game? – Whether you certain or indefinite Article of a noun depends on what exactly you want to say.

Definite articles – der, die and das

The articles «der», «die» and «das» belong to the specific articles. As the name suggests, they or their corresponding declension are used when talking about something specific, known or previously mentioned. The definite articles can also be used as definite article be designated.

Laura was in town last week a discovered a beautiful dress. Today she buys herself the A dress.

⇾ The dress is first of all an unspecified dress among many dresses. However, because it is mentioned in the first sentence and is therefore more precisely defined, the definite article «das» can be used in the next sentence.

Furthermore, the definite article is also used in some Proper names, for example used for some countries, cities, rivers and mountains:

the North Sea is located in the northwestern Europe at the edge of Atlantic Ocean.

Do you want from someone or something in the superlative speak, you also use the definite article:

That is the best moviethat I’ve ever seen.

Here you can see the most expensive painting the gallery.

Of the superlative represents the second and highest degree of comparison of an adjective or adverb.

before dates and ordinal numbers there is also a definite article:

Today is the June 29th.

Max has at the tournament the third space occupied.

The declension of certain articles

As you have already read, the article adapts to the noun it refers to. The declension of the article is in relation to that genusthe number and the case of the noun.

The definite articles are as follows declined:

Case masculine – der feminine – die neuter – plural nominative der die das die genitive des der des der dative dem der dem den accusative den die das die

In the plural, the article changes only in relation to the casebut remains the same for the different genders:

Who or what rides a bike? Whether now the men (plural of «the man»), the women (plural of «the woman») or the Girl (plural of «the girl») ride a bike, the article stays the same.

Who owns that bike? The men, the women or the Girl owns the bike.

Definite articles and prepositions

You can find it in the following sentence certain articles?

Julia is at the cinema with Lena.

Neither the definite articles «der», «die» and «das» nor their declension can be found at first glance in the above example. Nevertheless, there is an article in this sentence – albeit somewhat hidden:

Julia is in with Lena to the Movie theater.

The definite article of the noun «Kino» is «das». Because «Kino» is in the dative, «das» is declined to «dem». «Dem» stands in front of the preposition «in» and combines with it to form one word: «im».

When an article joins a preposition, it is also used as contraction designated.

Check out the following examples on. Which letters of the preposition and the article change or drop out in the contraction?

prepositionarticlepreposition + article (contraction)examplebothwithmAt the He got sunburned swimming. upsWe go together onto Concert. moreoverright tomSarah likes to go to the School. After school she goes to the Piano Lesson. at demamMia is standing at the Sports ground. indasdeminsimJulia goes with Lena into the Movie theater. Julia is with Lena in the Movie theater.

The contractions listed in the table have now become firmly established in the language and are used instead of the separately written variant. Only if the Article the function of a demonstrative pronoun occupies, the article Not associated with the preposition:

I would like in the Cinema (on Rathausplatz) and not in the Cinema (at the ice cream shop).

You use a demonstrative pronoun to indicate something. In the explanation of the «pronouns» you can find out more about the demonstrative pronoun.

Some contractions, in turn, are considered very colloquialfor example combining the preposition «auf» and the article «dem»:

The indefinite articles – one and one

But when is the indefinite article used instead of the definite article? Here, too, the name provides information: the indefinite article serves as an article for something indefinite, something that is not known or something that is not concrete indefinite article is called. Is the gender of the noun masculine or neuterthen the indefinite article becomes «a» used. The indefinite article precedes nouns with a feminine gender «one»:

A table has four legs.

is on the table a lamp.

If something or someone is to be described among many others, the indefinite article is used:

New York City is a city in the United States.

⇾ New York City is just one city among many others in the United States. That is why the indefinite article «eine» comes before the noun «Stadt».

Even if something or someone mentioned for the first time is used, for example in a text or a conversation, the indefinite article is used. Then the definite article is usually used:

she saw a left house. That House looked very old.

Declension of indefinite articles

Even in the indefinite form, the article adapts to the noun in terms of gender and case. Only with regard to number there is a special feature: If something is not specified, it cannot have a plural. Therefore there is no plural form for the indefinite article.

But how can something indefinite be spoken of in the plural if there is no article for it? Further down in the «The Zero Article» section of this explanation you will get the answer!

Case masculine – a feminine – a neuter – a plural nominative in a a-genitiveinitaheait-Dativeinemaheaem-accusativeininaa-

To practice the declension of definite and indefinite articles, it can help if you think of a specific noun and use it to form sentences.

Nominative: A rabbit runs across the meadow.

Genitive: It is in nature a rabbitto eat carrots.

Dative: She gives a rabbit a carrot.

Accusative: I have today a rabbit seen.

The negative articles – none and none

The indefinite articles can also be negated: «ein» becomes «kein» and «eine» becomes «kein». Negatives of the indefinite articles are also used as negative article designated.

Find today one event.

Find today no event.

You decline negative articles like indefinite articles. Unlike the indefinite articles, however, the negative articles have a plural:

Case masculine – no feminine – no neuter – no plural nominative no no no no no genitive noitnohenoitnohedative noemnohenoemnoinaccusative noinnonono

Article – the zero article

Berlin is the capital city of Germany.

Why is an article used in the example sentence for the noun «Capital» but not for the nouns «Berlin» and «Germany»? Were the articles forgotten, as in the introductory example sentence of the motivated German teacher?

That Berlin is the capital of to the Germany.

The sentence sounds strange with an article, doesn’t it? This is because some countries…