Indefinite Articles in German (ein, eine)
Exercises
- Fill in the correct indefinite article Score -/-
- Choose the correct German indefinite article! Score -/-
Lesson Outline
Hide- 1.What are indefinite articles in German?
- 2.Table of declension of indefinite articles
- 2.1.Examples of indefinite articles ein and eine
- 3.Usage of indefinite articles
- 4.The German negative articles kein and keine
- 4.1.Examples of negative articles kein and keine
- 5.Other indefinite articles (mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser, euer, Ihr)
What are indefinite articles in German?
There are two indefinite articles in German: ein and eine. In English they are described by a or an.
- ein is used for masculine and neuter nouns
- eine is used for feminine nouns
Table of declension of indefinite articles
The declension of the indefinite articles is defined by gender and case of the noun. You can find the different specification in this table.
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ein | eine | ein |
| Accusative | einen | eine | ein |
| Dative | einem | einer | einem |
| Genitive | eines | einer | eines |
In plural there is no indefinite article. Example: Horrofilme schaue ich nicht gerne. - I do not like to watch horror movies.
Examples of indefinite articles ein and eine
- Laura hat einen Hund. - Laura has a dog.
- Eine Kerze steht auf dem Tisch. - A candle is on the table.
- Er ist ein talentierter Ingenieur. - He is a talented engineer.
Usage of indefinite articles
| Usage of definite articles | Examples |
|---|---|
| When we are talking about something that is not specially defined. |
Annika ist eine Freundin von Lena. - Annika is a friend of Lena. |
| When we we mention something for the first time and you assume it not be generally known. | Ich schwimme in einem See. - |
The German negative articles kein and keine
The indefinite articles kein, keine are the negative forms of ein, eine and they are declined the same way, as you can see in the table below.
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normative | kein | keine | kein | keine |
| Accusative | keinen | keine | kein | keine |
| Dative | keinem | keiner | keinem | keinen |
| Genitive | keines | keiner | keines | keiner |
Examples of negative articles kein and keine
- Ich habe heute keine Zeit. - I do not have time today.
- Kein Hotel ist modern. - No hotel is modern.
Other indefinite articles (mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser, euer, Ihr)
The possesive pronouns listed in this table can be used as a companion of nouns and take the same grammatical endings as the indefinite articles.
| Translation | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| mein | my | Meine Katze ist weiß. - My cat is white. |
| dein | your (familiar singular) | Ist das dein Koffer? - Is this your suitcase? |
| sein | his, its | Seine Freundin ist hier. - His girlfriend is here. |
| ihr | her, their | Ist das ihr Handtuch? - Is that her towel? |
| unser | our | Unsere Wohnung ist klein. - Our apartment is small. |
| euer | your (familiar plural) | Wo ist euer Lehrer? - Where is your teacher? |
| Ihr | your (formal) | Ihre Tochter lächelt. - Your daughter smiles. |
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