Singular
der
Aufwand
expense, effort
Plural: die Mühen
Why does the noun Aufwand have the article der?
This noun follows no general suffix rule — its gender is part of the core vocabulary you simply learn alongside the word.
Declension table for German noun Aufwand
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Mühe | eine Mühe | keine Mühe |
| Akkusativ | die Mühe | eine Mühe | keine Mühe |
| Dativ | der Mühe | einer Mühe | keiner Mühe |
| Genitiv | der Mühe | einer Mühe | keiner Mühe |
| Nominativ | die Mühen | Mühen | keine Mühen |
| Akkusativ | die Mühen | Mühen | keine Mühen |
| Dativ | den Mühen | Mühen | keinen Mühen |
| Genitiv | der Mühen | Mühen | keiner Mühen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Aufwand in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die große Mühe lohnt sich.The great effort is worthwhile. | Eine kleine Mühe ist nötig.A small effort is necessary. | Keine unnötige Mühe gibt es hier.There is no unnecessary effort here. |
| Akkusativ | Ich gebe die ganze Mühe.I give the whole effort. | Wir machen eine neue Mühe.We make a new effort. | Er hat keine große Mühe.He has no great effort. |
| Dativ | Ich helfe bei der schweren Mühe.I help with the difficult effort. | Er hilft bei einer kleinen Mühe.He helps with a small effort. | Ich widme mich keiner sinnlosen Mühe.I dedicate myself to no senseless effort. |
| Genitiv | Das Ergebnis der großen Mühe ist gut.The result of the great effort is good. | Der Lohn einer kleinen Mühe ist gering.The reward of a small effort is low. | Der Wert keiner sinnlosen Mühe fehlt.The value of no senseless effort is missing. |
| Nominativ | Die vielen Mühen sind vorbei.The many efforts are over. | Große Mühen entstehen oft.Great efforts often arise. | Keine leichten Mühen existieren.No easy efforts exist. |
| Akkusativ | Sie scheuen die schweren Mühen.They shy away from the difficult efforts. | Wir sehen viele Mühen.We see many efforts. | Ich habe keine unnötigen Mühen.I have no unnecessary efforts. |
| Dativ | Wir sprechen von den vergangenen Mühen.We talk about the past efforts. | Manchmal denken wir an alten Mühen.Sometimes we think of old efforts. | Ich helfe bei keinen schweren Mühen.I help with no difficult efforts. |
| Genitiv | Die Früchte der harten Mühen sind süß.The fruits of hard efforts are sweet. | Die Summe vieler Mühen ist groß.The sum of many efforts is great. | Die Ursache keiner unnötigen Mühen ist klar.The cause of no unnecessary efforts is clear. |
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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 Aufwand?
It is der Aufwand. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Aufwand is masculine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.
What CEFR level is the word Aufwand?
The German noun Aufwand is categorized as Upper-Intermediate (B2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of der Aufwand?
The plural form of der Aufwand is die Aufwände. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does der Aufwand mean in English?
The German word der Aufwand translates to “expense, effort” in English.
How do you decline der Aufwand?
Like all German nouns, Aufwand changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Mühe
- Akkusativ: die Mühe
- Dativ: der Mühe
- Genitiv: der Mühe
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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