Singular
die
Alternative
alternative
Plural: die Alternativen
Why does the noun Alternative 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 Alternative
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Alternative | eine Alternative | keine Alternative |
| Akkusativ | die Alternative | eine Alternative | keine Alternative |
| Dativ | der Alternative | einer Alternative | keiner Alternative |
| Genitiv | der Alternative | einer Alternative | keiner Alternative |
| Nominativ | die Alternativen | Alternativen | keine Alternativen |
| Akkusativ | die Alternativen | Alternativen | keine Alternativen |
| Dativ | den Alternativen | Alternativen | keinen Alternativen |
| Genitiv | der Alternativen | Alternativen | keiner Alternativen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Alternative in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die beste Alternative ist diese.The best alternative is this one. | Eine gute Alternative ist wichtig.A good alternative is important. | Keine einfache Alternative existiert.No easy alternative exists. |
| Akkusativ | Ich suche die beste Alternative.I am looking for the best alternative. | Wir finden eine gute Alternative.We find a good alternative. | Ich habe keine Alternative.I have no alternative. |
| Dativ | Ich stimme der Alternative zu.I agree with the alternative. | Ich gebe einer guten Alternative eine Chance.I give a good alternative a chance. | Ich gebe keiner Alternative eine Chance.I give no alternative a chance. |
| Genitiv | Die Wahl der Alternative ist schwer.The choice of the alternative is difficult. | Die Suche einer Alternative ist lang.The search for an alternative is long. | Die Existenz keiner Alternative ist klar.The existence of no alternative is clear. |
| Nominativ | Die neuen Alternativen sind gut.The new alternatives are good. | Viele Alternativen sind möglich.Many alternatives are possible. | Keine schlechten Alternativen sind hier.No bad alternatives are here. |
| Akkusativ | Wir brauchen die besten Alternativen.We need the best alternatives. | Ich sehe viele Alternativen.I see many alternatives. | Sie hat keine Alternativen gefunden.She found no alternatives. |
| Dativ | Ich stimme den Alternativen zu.I agree with the alternatives. | Ich gebe guten Alternativen eine Chance.I give good alternatives a chance. | Ich gebe keinen Alternativen eine Chance.I give no alternatives a chance. |
| Genitiv | Die Vielfalt der Alternativen ist groß.The variety of alternatives is great. | Die Qualität guter Alternativen ist hoch.The quality of good alternatives is high. | Die Anzahl keiner Alternativen ist bekannt.The number of no alternatives is known. |
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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 Alternative?
It is die Alternative. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Alternative is feminine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.
What CEFR level is the word Alternative?
The German noun Alternative is categorized as Intermediate (B1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Alternative?
The plural form of die Alternative is die Alternativen. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Alternative mean in English?
The German word die Alternative translates to “alternative” in English.
How do you decline die Alternative?
Like all German nouns, Alternative changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Alternative
- Akkusativ: die Alternative
- Dativ: der Alternative
- Genitiv: der Alternative
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.
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Strong Standard declension — no extra -(e)n. The 96% majority.
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