German definite article declension: der/die/das in all four cases
The complete der/die/das table across Nominativ, Akkusativ, Dativ and Genitiv (plus plural), and the three rules that let you reconstruct it from memory.
- Case government
- Article agreement
- Orthography
| maskulin | feminin | neutral | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der | die | das | die |
| Akkusativ | den | die | das | die |
| Dativ | dem | der | dem | den |
| Genitiv | des | der | des | der |
The definite article (der/die/das) changes its form by gender and case. Here is the full table — the single most useful grid in German grammar:
| case | masculine | neuter | feminine | plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ (subject) | der | das | die | die |
| Akkusativ (direct object) | den | das | die | die |
| Dativ (indirect object) | dem | dem | der | den |
| Genitiv (possession) | des | des | der | der |
You don't memorise sixteen cells — you remember three rules:
- Accusative: only the masculine changes, der → den. Neuter, feminine and plural keep their nominative form.
- Dative: the feminine becomes der and the plural becomes den — and in the dative plural the noun itself adds an -n (den Kindern).
- Genitive: masculine and neuter become des, and the noun adds -s/-es (des Mannes); feminine and plural become der.
Examples
Ich sehe den Mann.
I see the man. (accusative: der → den)
Ich helfe der Frau.
I help the woman. (dative: die → der)
Ich danke den Kindern.
I thank the children. (dative plural: die → den, noun +n)
Das ist das Auto des Mannes.
That is the man's car. (genitive: der → des, noun +es)
Common mistakes
helfen takes the dative, and in the dative the feminine article die becomes der.
mit takes the dative; in the dative plural die becomes den and the noun adds -n (Kinder → Kindern).
Related topics
Practice
Ich sehe ___ Mann.
Ich helfe ___ Frau.
Das ist das Auto ___ Mannes.
Ich danke ___ Kindern.