Indefinite Articles in German (ein, eine)
Online language lessons with native teachersSkype teachers
Free trial lesson
Flexible appointments
Indefinite Articles in German (ein, eine)
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)
- 6.Exercises
- 6.1.Fill in the correct indefinite article
- 6.2.Choose the correct German indefinite article!
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
Have a question?
Take online language lessons with a professional teacher
- Native & verified teachers
- Free trial lesson
- Learning materials included
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. |
Exercises
Fill in the correct indefinite article
Choose the correct German indefinite article!
Practise with a private teacher on Skype!
4.1/5 from 0 reviews
- Private Skype lessons
- Learn any topic
- Flexible appointments
German Classes for TestDaf, DaF
I speak: German, English I teach: German
Hello, my name is Claus !For many years I teach students from all over the world as a professional teacher of the German language. With a lot of... experience and patience I lead my students to their to teach successfully and with fun. I offer you general language courses of B1- C2 with test preparations, as well as courses in Business German (prerequisites are language proficiency in German from level B1 +!). Read more
Great choice! Students book in average more than 10 lessons!
Very experienced teacher!
This teacher is one of our premium members. A premium teacher is very motivated to provide an excellent learning experience.
Very experienced teacher!
This teacher is one of our premium members. A premium teacher is very motivated to provide an excellent learning experience.
15.00€ / h
Response time: less than a few hours
German lessons and learning materials included
I speak: German, English, French, Italian I teach: German, English, French
My name is Christina and I provide fun German and French language lesson for children and adult beginners or intermediate who want to... strengthen their language skills, improve the grammar knowledge, enrich the vocabulary and get into the German culture! I can teach in English or French! I had experince in teaching German, English and French to foreign people so I do have a lot of useful learning material I can provide you to make it easier! Read more
Great choice! Students book in average more than 10 lessons!
Very experienced teacher!
This teacher is one of our premium members. A premium teacher is very motivated to provide an excellent learning experience.
Very experienced teacher!
This teacher is one of our premium members. A premium teacher is very motivated to provide an excellent learning experience.
17.00€ / h
Response time: less than a few hours
German native teacher for German and Spanish classes
I speak: German, Spanish, English I teach: German, Spanish
I am Marcus Hartmann, 30 years old and I have been living in Cali, Colombia, for more than four years. There I work as a German teacher for... Spanish-speaking people, young and old. I love the German language and develop many modern methodologies to make the German more playful and easier to learn. I also run a blog and a Facebook page, where I present many tips and tricks that make learning German easier. I teach German for all levels and Spanish for beginners. Read more
Great choice! Students book in average more than 10 lessons!
Very experienced teacher!
Very experienced teacher!
24.00€ / h
Response time: less than a few hours