Why does the noun Akte have the article die?

About 90% of nouns ending in -e are feminine.

Examples

die Lampe (lamp), die Schule (school), die Tasche (bag), die Klasse (class), die Straße (street), die Sonne (sun), die Blume (flower)

Exceptions

der Junge (boy), der Löwe (lion), der Affe (monkey), der Name (name), der Käse (cheese), das Ende (end), das Auge (eye)

Declension table for German noun Akte

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Akteeine Aktekeine Akte
Akkusativdie Akteeine Aktekeine Akte
Dativder Akteeiner Aktekeiner Akte
Genitivder Akteeiner Aktekeiner Akte

Examples in context

Real sentences using Akte in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die neue Akte ist wichtig.The new file is important.
Eine alte Akte liegt hier.An old file is lying here.
Keine wichtige Akte fehlt.No important file is missing.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe die alte Akte.I see the old file.
Er braucht eine neue Akte.He needs a new file.
Wir haben keine wichtige Akte.We have no important file.
Dativ
Ich arbeite an der neuen Akte.I am working on the new file.
Er gibt einer alten Akte Priorität.He gives priority to an old file.
Sie widmet keiner wichtigen Akte Zeit.She dedicates no time to an important file.
Genitiv
Der Inhalt der alten Akte ist klar.The content of the old file is clear.
Der Titel einer neuen Akte fehlt.The title of a new file is missing.
Der Wert keiner wichtigen Akte ist hoch.The value of no important file is high.

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Frequently asked questions

Everything you might wonder about der, die, das — and the Der Artikel app.

Is it der, die, or das Akte?

It is die Akte. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Akte is feminine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.

What is the plural of die Akte?

The plural form of die Akte is die Akten. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”

What does die Akte mean in English?

The German word die Akte translates to “file” in English.

How do you decline die Akte?

Like all German nouns, Akte changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
  • Nominativ: die Akte
  • Akkusativ: die Akte
  • Dativ: der Akte
  • Genitiv: der Akte

These changes are necessary because German uses cases to indicate the noun’s role in a sentence (such as the subject or object). Knowing these forms allows you to build grammatically correct sentences.