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German Articles
This chapter deals with the German articles in general and additionally with difference between definite and indefinite articles. Then you will learn the articles in connection with prepositons and when you do not use any articles in German.
Lesson Outline
Hide- 1.What are articles in German?
- 1.1.Chart of the German Articles (definite and indefinite articles)
- 2.Usage of definite and indefinite articles
- 2.1.Usage of the definite articles
- 2.2.Usage of indefinite articles
- 3.Articles + Prepositions
- 4.When do you not use articles in German?
- 5.Exercises
- 5.1.Fill in the blank exercises about definite or indefinite articles
- 5.2.Articles - yes or no?
- 5.3.Fill in the blank exercise about definite or indefinite articles
What are articles in German?
Articles always accompany and always stand before nouns. In German there are two types of articles: definite and indefinite articles. They help you to identify and determine gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), number (singular, plural) and cases (normative, accusative, dative, genitive).
Chart of the German Articles (definite and indefinite articles)
In this chart you can find the definite and indefinite articles defined by gender.
| Gender | Definite Arcitles | Indefinite Articles |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | der | ein |
| Feminine | die | eine |
| Neuter | das | ein |
The definite articles der, die, das are translated as the in English. The indefinite articles ein, eine are translated as a or an.
Usage of definite and indefinite articles
It is important to distinguish when to use definite and when to use indefinite articles.
Usage of the definite articles
The following table describes when you have to use the definite articles.
| Usage of definite Articles (der, die, das - the) | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| When we are talking about something specific | Der Hund bellt laut. Die Dame überquert die Straße. | The dogs barks loudly. The lady crosses the street. |
| When something has already been mentioned or you assume it to be generally known | Das Kolloseum in Rom ist atemberaubend. Das Mädchen schreibt einen Brief. | The Colosseum in Rom is breathtaking. The girl writes a letter. |
Usage of indefinite articles
This table describes when you have to use indefinite articles.
| Usage of indefinite articles (ein, eine- a or an) | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| When we are talking about something that is not specially defined. | Peter is ein Eis. Ich ziehe einen Mantel an. | Peter eats an ice-cream. I put on a coat. |
| When we we mention something for the first time or assume it not to be generally known. | Ein Pferd ist ein Säugetier. Maria hat einen Bruder. | A horse is a mammal. Maria has a brother. |
Articles + Prepositions
In some cases specific articles and prepostions are contracted. The articles that usually merge with prepostions are in the accusative or the dative case. This table below shows the most common contractions.
| Preposition | Preposition + Article | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| an | an + dem = am | Max steht am Bahnhof | Max is standing at the station. |
| bei | bei + dem = beim | Beim Lesen hat er die Zeit vergessen. | While reading, he forgot the time. |
| in | in + dem = im in + das = ins | Ich bin im Schwimmbad. Kommst du auch ins Schwimmbad? | I'm at the swimming pool. Do you also come to the swimming pool? |
| von | von + dem = vom | Ich komme gerade vom Theater. | I have just come from the theater. |
| zu | zu + dem = zum zu + der = zur | Maria muss zum Arzt gehen. | Maria has to go to the doctor. I'm going to the door. |
When do you not use articles in German?
There are certain situations in which the German language doesn't use articles. You can find these exceptions in this table below.
| Situation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Place names | Ich wohne in Hamburg. In London regnet es. | I live in Hamburg. It rains in London. |
| 2. Most of the country names | Ich mache Urlaub in Norwegen. Island ist eine schöne Insel.
| I'm going on holiday to Norway. Iceland is a beautiful island. In switzerland there a many mountains. |
| 3. Title (in newspapers,...) | Grünflächen wurden geschaffen Städte fassen gemeinsam einen Beschluss | Green spaces werde created Cities jointly take a decision |
| 4. Indefinite article in plural | Dort stehen Stühle. Jungs spielen gerne Fußball. | There are chairs. Boys like to play soccer. |
| 5. Certain concrete skills | Laura spielt Klavier. Meine Mutter spielt Tennis. | Laura plays the piano. My mother plays tennis. |
| 6. Creating lists | Packliste: Zahnbürste, Schlafsack | Packing list: toothbrush, sleeping bag |
| 7. Equate with the verb werden or sein | Mein Bruder ist Lehrer. Ich werde Arzt. | My brother is a teacher. I am going to be a doctor. |
| 8. Exclamation | Hilfe! Mist! | Help! Crap! |
| 9. Materials/Liquids | Wir müssen noch Milch kaufen. Benzin wird knapp. | We still have to buy milk. Gasoline is scarce. |
In order to deepen the knowledge of the German articles, you can do the exercise on the following pages.
Exercises
Fill in the blank exercises about definite or indefinite articles
Articles - yes or no?
Fill in the blank exercise about definite or indefinite articles
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Brandon .
Elena is an excellent teacher and a very nice person. I have been training in Spanish with Elena for quite some time now after her being recommended to me by a friend, and have consistently been very pleased with our lessons. While I do not consider myself to be very good at learning foreign languages, Elena is very patient and adapts the lessons to my ability, making me feel at ease. In fact, I find her to be extremely skilled at assessing exactly where I am at any given time with respect to my individual learning situation, and structuring the lessons accordingly. I think I probably would have given up trying to learn Spanish had I not began my study with Elena; and that would have been a shame considering where I am now with the language. Because of Elena's skilled help, I am extremely pleased to not only be conversant in basic Spanish, but also have confidence that I will one day reach full proficiency with the language. No other learning method I tried before meeting Elena compares to the one-on-one, personalized instruction I receive from her, which comprises reading; writing; developmental exercises; and most importantly, conversation. To be able to look at Spanish now and have it appear largely familiar is extremely satisfying. I even plan to study Italian with Elena after reaching my desired level in Spanish. These are not things I ever imagined would occur at the beginning stages of my studies. I am a native English speaker and find Elena's English to be excellent. She had no difficulty instructing me from the very beginning levels where it was necessary that a lot of English be spoken in our lessons, to where we are now with much less English being spoken. The friend who recommended Elena to me learned Dutch from her, and is equally pleased with their experience. I would not hesitate to learn from Elena any of the languages she teaches. I give Elena my highest recommendations and thank her for all the help she has provided me.
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Thank you for your feedback, Brandon! I am very happy to know that you are so satisfied with the lessons. I've always believed that you could make it and I am glad that we never gave it up. The right attitude and a high level of perseverance have been the keys to your success. It has been a pleasure to be your guide in your learning process. I know that you can do much more, so let's continue towards a next level!
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An's Bulgarian has tremendously improved since she gave it go a year and a half ago. Of course, It goes without saying that I am pleased to work with such an enthusiastic learner who is living proof that, through hard work and perseverance, everyone can succeed in their language goals. An, you are now an independant user of the language who is able to successfully lead real-live conversations. Pat yourself on the back.
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We are an Italian family residing in France for 3 months, we have two 10 year old children who have just started attending CM1. We asked Natalia to give the children two lessons a week to speed up their learning. We are super happy with the choice. Nous sommes une famille italienne résidant en France depuis janvier, nous avons deux enfants de 10 ans qui viennent de commencer la CM1. Nous avons demandé à Natalia de leur donner deux leçons par semaine pour accélérer leur apprentissage. Nous sommes super contents de Natalia. We are an Italian family living in France since 3 months, we have two 10 year old children who have just started attending CM1. We asked Natalia to give the kids two lessons a week to speed up their learning. We are super happy with this choice.
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It was very nice to take a lesson from Theano (Anny). She is adaptable to the student's level and is prepared to help the student as necessary. She is a friendly and caring teacher!
THEANO G.
Σ' ευχαριστώ πολύ Μέγκαν! I'm glad you had a good experience and that you enjoyed it. Your excitment about learning greek motivates me even more :)
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Thank you very much for your words! You are a very diligent student! You apply and take one step forward with each lesson! See you soon!
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Enthousiast and engaged teacher. Plans a lesson around your needs and focuses on details specific to you. Finds helpful material for the lessons but also for the time between. Easy to talk to and can be reached easily too.
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