Definite and Indefinite German Articles in Nominative Case. 20 useful example sentences

Definite and Indefinite German Articles in Nominative Case

Just like English, German language employs definite and indefinite articles to semantically complete a sentence. These articles in German could vary as per the gender (masculine, feminine, and neuter), case (nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive) and number (singular or plural) of the subject. This article will center around understanding definite and indefinite German articles specifically in the nominative case, which is usually used for the subject of a sentence.

In nominative case German, the definite articles, similar to ‘the’ in English are “der” (masculine), “die” (feminine and also all genders in plural), and “das” (neuter). The indefinite articles, akin to ‘a’ or ‘an’ in English are “ein” (masculine and neuter) and “eine” (feminine). For ease of understanding, the 20 example sentences below present definite and indefinite German articles in nominative case, along with their English translation.

1. Der Mann ist klug. (The man is smart.)
2. Die Frau ist schön. (The woman is beautiful.)
3. Das Haus ist groß. (The house is big.)
4. Ein Hund läuft im Park. (A dog is running in the park.)
5. Eine Katze sitzt auf der Mauer. (A cat is sitting on the wall.)

When it comes to subjects of human characteristics, similar rules apply:

6. Der Lehrer ist streng. (The teacher is strict.)
7. Die Ärztin ist freundlich. (The doctor is friendly.)
8. Das Kind ist glücklich. (The child is happy.)
9. Ein Schüler lernt für die Prüfung. (A student is studying for the exam.)
10. Eine Mutter kümmert sich um ihr Baby. (A mother is caring for her baby.)

Proper nouns follow the same rule:

11. Der Eiffelturm ist hoch. (The Eiffel Tower is tall.)
12. Die Sahara ist heiß. (The Sahara is hot.)
13. Ein Sommer in Europa ist schön. (A summer in Europe is beautiful.)

Involving some possessive pronouns:

14. Der Hund ist mein. (The dog is mine.)
15. Die Blumen sind ihre. (The flowers are hers.)
16. Ein Tag ohne Arbeit ist schön. (A day without work is nice.)

And likewise with plurals:

17. Die Bäume sind hoch. (The trees are tall.)
18. Die Äpfel sind süß. (The apples are sweet.)
19. Die Träume sind lebhaft. (The dreams are vivid.)
20. Ein Tag und eine Nacht sind genug. (A day and a night are enough.)

These examples aid in understanding the use and importance of definite and indefinite German articles in the nominative case. Practice and familiarity with different contexts will ensure more fluent and accurate use of these articles when forming sentences in German.