Case - the bulk list
Declension of gender: Der, die, das
Der Genus - die Genera
Let's take a closer look at some nouns. The following list you have to learn very well.
Every noun
has got only one fixed determiner. "Tag" (day)
e.g. the determiner "der". In German determiner is called "der Artikel". This "Artikel" is also called Genus.
If we say that a word has got a specific "Artikel", we refer to the determiner of the subject case (Nominativ)
in the singular. The "Nominativ" means nominative. That is the term we find in dictionaries, e.g.
"Tag; der Tag; m.; Genitiv: des Tages;
Nom. Plural: die Tage". This case we use to communicate the existence of something: "Der Vater liest
seine Zeitschrift." Here's the father. He's reading the magazine.
But we are scientists here. And because this is so important, we want to look at it completely. Being exact, we find
that each noun is connected to not only one determiner, but one group. The three groups are "der, die, das". The
first group we are going to cover is "der".
Die 1. Gruppe (1. group) "der":
der |
Nominativ |
Singular |
den |
Akkusativ |
Singular |
dem |
Dativ |
Singular |
des |
Genitiv |
Singular |
die |
Nominativ |
Plural |
die |
Akkusativ |
Plural |
den |
Dativ |
Plural |
der |
Genitiv |
Plural |
Kasus (case) von "Tag":
Tag |
Nominativ |
Singular |
Tag |
Akkusativ |
Singular |
Tag |
Dativ |
Singular |
Tages |
Genitiv |
Singular |
Tage |
Nominativ |
Plural |
Tage |
Akkusativ |
Plural |
Tagen |
Dativ |
Plural |
Tage |
Genitiv |
Plural |
We now mark the noun with the group and get "der Tag".
der Tag |
Nominativ |
Singular |
den Tag |
Akkusativ |
Singular |
dem Tag |
Dativ |
Singular |
des Tages |
Genitiv |
Singular |
die Tage |
Nominativ |
Plural |
die Tage |
Akkusativ |
Plural |
den Tagen |
Dativ |
Plural |
der Tage |
Genitiv |
Plural |
2. Gruppe (2. group) "die":
die |
Nominativ |
Singular |
die |
Akkusativ |
Singular |
der |
Dativ |
Singular |
der |
Genitiv |
Singular |
die |
Nominativ |
Plural |
die |
Akkusativ |
Plural |
den |
Dativ |
Plural |
der |
Genitiv |
Plural |
Beispiel: "Frau" (woman):
Frau |
Nominativ |
Singular |
Frau |
Akkusativ |
Singular |
Frau |
Dativ |
Singular |
Frau |
Genitiv |
Singular |
Frauen |
Nominativ |
Plural |
Frauen |
Akkusativ |
Plural |
Frauen |
Dativ |
Plural |
Frauen |
Genitiv |
Plural |
We now mark the noun with the group "die" and get "die Frau".
die Frau |
Nominativ |
Singular |
die Frau |
Akkusativ |
Singular |
der Frau |
Dativ |
Singular |
der Frau |
Genitiv |
Singular |
die Frauen |
Nominativ |
Plural |
die Frauen |
Akkusativ |
Plural |
den Frauen |
Dativ |
Plural |
der Frauen |
Genitiv |
Plural |
You find, that Genitiv Singular of
die Frau resembles Nominativ Singular of
der Tag : der Frau and der Tag.
Look closely, der Tag is Nominativ and
der Frau Genitiv. They look the same, but they are not of the same case. Why?
Because Frau has always got the group die attached. In this group der is never Nominativ, but
Dativ Singular or Genitiv Singular or Genitiv Plural.
3. Gruppe "das":
das |
Nominativ |
Singular |
das |
Akkusativ |
Singular |
dem |
Dativ |
Singular |
des |
Genitiv |
Singular |
die |
Nominativ |
Plural |
die |
Akkusativ |
Plural |
den |
Dativ |
Plural |
der |
Genitiv |
Plural |
Beispiel: "Auto" (car):
Auto |
Nominativ |
Singular |
Auto |
Akkusativ |
Singular |
Auto |
Dativ |
Singular |
Autos |
Genitiv |
Singular |
Autos |
Nominativ |
Plural |
Autos |
Akkusativ |
Plural |
Autos |
Dativ |
Plural |
Autos |
Genitiv |
Plural |
We now mark the noun with the group "das" and get "das Auto".
das Auto |
Nominativ |
Singular |
das Auto |
Akkusativ |
Singular |
dem Auto |
Dativ |
Singular |
des Autos |
Genitiv |
Singular |
die Autos |
Nominativ |
Plural |
die Autos |
Akkusativ |
Plural |
den Autos |
Dativ |
Plural |
der Autos |
Genitiv |
Plural |
Did you notice that the determiners of the plural have got the same forms in all three groups?
All cases of the main determiner or Artikel (for learning purposes)
Singular:
Nominativ |
der |
die |
das |
Akkusativ |
den |
die |
das |
Dativ |
dem |
der |
dem |
Genitiv |
des |
der |
des |
Plural:
Nominativ |
die |
die |
die |
Akkusativ |
die |
die |
die |
Dativ |
den |
den |
den |
Genitiv |
der |
der |
der |
We find that the three groups (der, die, das)
are identical in the plural. The Singular forms you will have to all learn. You will find
that der Dativ and der Genitiv have the same forms in group 2.
The singlar forms of group 1 (der) are different
in all cases (der, den, dem, des).
A different word for "group of determiners" is Genus.
This word is used in school and refers to the three Genera männlich,
weiblich, sächlich (masculine, feminine, neuter) (der, die, das). In German gender is grammatical, so even things will
have female or male gender, e.g. der Weg (the path), die Tür (the door).
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