Why does the noun Amerikaner have the article der?

Nouns formed from verbs with -er ending are mostly masculine. Look at the bolded -er in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

der Lehrer (teacher), der Fahrer (driver), der Arbeiter (worker), der Schreiber (writer), der Spieler (player), der Maler (painter)

Exceptions

das Fenster (window), das Wasser (water), die Butter (butter), die Mutter (mother)

Declension table for German noun Amerikaner

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Amerikanerein Amerikanerkein Amerikaner
Akkusativden Amerikanereinen Amerikanerkeinen Amerikaner
Dativdem Amerikanereinem Amerikanerkeinem Amerikaner
Genitivdes Amerikanerseines Amerikanerskeines Amerikaners

Examples in context

Real sentences using Amerikaner in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der junge Amerikaner spricht Deutsch.The young American speaks German.
Ein freundlicher Amerikaner hilft mir.A friendly American helps me.
Kein alter Amerikaner lebt hier.No old American lives here.
Akkusativ
Ich kenne den jungen Amerikaner.I know the young American.
Sie trifft einen freundlichen Amerikaner.She meets a friendly American.
Wir sehen keinen alten Amerikaner.We see no old American.
Dativ
Ich spreche mit dem jungen Amerikaner.I speak with the young American.
Sie hilft einem freundlichen Amerikaner.She helps a friendly American.
Er arbeitet mit keinem alten Amerikaner.He works with no old American.
Genitiv
Das Auto des jungen Amerikaners ist rot.The car of the young American is red.
Der Name eines freundlichen Amerikaners ist bekannt.The name of a friendly American is known.
Die Meinung keines alten Amerikaners ist wichtig.The opinion of no old American is important.

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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 Amerikaner?

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

What is the plural of der Amerikaner?

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

What does der Amerikaner mean in English?

The German word der Amerikaner translates to “American” in English.

How do you decline der Amerikaner?

Like all German nouns, Amerikaner changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
  • Nominativ: der Amerikaner
  • Akkusativ: den Amerikaner
  • Dativ: dem Amerikaner
  • Genitiv: des Amerikaners

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.