What are definite articles in German?
Updated February 27, 2019. A definite article (der Definitartikel) is that tiny word in English we refer to as “the.” In German, we have three: der, die, das. As in English, they are also placed before the noun (or their modifying adjectives). In German, however, each of the definite articles has a gender.
What are the 4 nominative definite articles in German?
You have already seen that the genders of German nouns are typically shown by way of an accompanying definite article: der (masculine), die (feminine), or das (neuter). These are the nominative case forms of the definite articles. When a noun is used in a different case, the form of its definite article may change.
How does the article change German?
In German, however, the definite and indefinite articles change depending on the gender of the noun being modified, whether the noun is singular or plural, and the case of the noun in the sentence.
What are the definite articles in the accusative case German?
Definite article
| Masculine | Neuter | |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | das |
| Accusative | den | das |
| Dative | dem | dem |
| Genitive | des | des |
How do German articles work?
As in English, German nouns are often preceded by the definite (the) or indefinite article (a/an) or another determiner (e.g. some/any), as well as an adjective or two. German nouns can be masculine, feminine or neuter, and this gender affects the form of the articles (and the adjectives) we use.
What are the German articles?
German articles are words that combine with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun. Generally articles specify the grammatical definiteness of the noun. Examples are “the, a, and an”.
When to use definite vs. indefinite articles?
As a general rule, the indefinite article is used when one is introducing a noun, or referring to a generic noun, while the definite article is used when talking about a particular noun.
What is definite, indefinite articles?
Definite articles are used before that noun whose identity is not unknown to the reader, while indefinite articles are used before that noun whose identity is unknown or a noun which is general and not described before. The definite article include “The,” while indefinite article include “a” and “an”
What is article in German?
Definition: In German, the articles are the main indicators of grammatical case. Articles are words mostly used before nouns. In German, articles are the key to understand the gender of nouns because they are divided in three genders. In German the matter of grammatical gender is quite different.