the (definite article)
Marks a specific, known noun. The form shows the noun's gender and case, so it carries grammar English "the" doesn't.
der Mann
the man (masculine)
die Frau
the woman (feminine)
das Kind
the child (neuter)
#1 · Determiner / article · DET
In German, der means “the (definite article)”. It’s the #1 most frequently used German word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
The German definite article ("the"). Unlike English "the", it changes form for gender, case, and number — der/die/das/den/dem/des are all "the". It is also used as a demonstrative and relative pronoun.
neutralMarks a specific, known noun. The form shows the noun's gender and case, so it carries grammar English "the" doesn't.
the man (masculine)
the woman (feminine)
the child (neuter)
Stressed in speech, der/die/das points ("that one"). Very common in spoken German instead of er/sie/es.
That one there!
She (that one) knows it.
Introduces a relative clause and sends the verb to the end.
the man who is standing there
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken German. The top 4 forms cover about 90% of everyday use — learn these first.
| Nominative — masc. / fem. / neut. / pl. | der / die / das / die | the subject |
|---|---|---|
| Accusative | den / die / das / die | only masculine changes (den) |
| Dative | dem / der / dem / den | plural adds -n to the noun too (den Kindern) |
| Genitive | des / der / des / der | masc./neut. noun adds -s (des Mannes) |
| Relative genitive | dessen / deren | "whose" in relative clauses |
vs. ein (indefinite article)
der/die/das = a specific "the"; ein/eine = a non-specific "a/an".
Ich sehe den Mann. / Ich sehe einen Mann.
I see the man. / I see a man.
vs. er/sie/es (personal pronouns)
der/die/das as a demonstrative is more emphatic and colloquial than er/sie/es.
Der kommt nicht. (vs Er kommt nicht.)
That guy isn't coming. (vs He isn't coming.)
Der Hund bellt.
The dog is barking.
der - nominative masculine — the subject
Ich gebe dem Kind das Buch.
I give the child the book.
dem - dative neuter — the indirect object
Das ist das Auto der Frau.
That is the woman's car.
der - genitive feminine — possession
Die Kinder spielen.
The children are playing.
die - plural — same "die" as feminine singular
| die | "the" for feminine and plural nouns | same article, fem./plural |
|---|---|---|
| das | "the" for neuter nouns; also "that" | same article, neuter |
| dieser | this / this one | demonstrative |
The six core forms follow a grid: der/die/das (Nom.), then only the masculine bends — den (Acc.), dem (Dat.), des (Gen.). Learn the masculine column first.