Why does the noun Autor have the article der?
Default/male form of professions are masculine.
Examples
der Arzt (doctor), der Lehrer (teacher), der Koch (cook), der Polizist (policeman), der Ingenieur (engineer), der Anwalt (lawyer)
Declension table for German noun Autor
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Autor | ein Autor | kein Autor |
| Akkusativ | den Autor | einen Autor | keinen Autor |
| Dativ | dem Autor | einem Autor | keinem Autor |
| Genitiv | des Autors | eines Autors | keines Autors |
| Nominativ | die Autoren | Autoren | keine Autoren |
| Akkusativ | die Autoren | Autoren | keine Autoren |
| Dativ | den Autoren | Autoren | keinen Autoren |
| Genitiv | der Autoren | Autoren | keiner Autoren |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Autor in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Der berühmte Autor liest heute vor.The famous author is reading aloud today. | Ein junger Autor gewinnt einen Preis.A young author wins a prize. | Kein guter Autor war anwesend.No good author was present. |
| Akkusativ | Ich kenne den bekannten Autor.I know the well-known author. | Wir suchen einen guten Autor.We are looking for a good author. | Sie liest keinen modernen Autor.She doesn't read any modern authors. |
| Dativ | Ich helfe dem neuen Autor.I am helping the new author. | Ich danke einem freundlichen Autor.I thank a friendly author. | Sie glaubt keinem einzigen Autor.She doesn't believe a single author. |
| Genitiv | Das ist das Buch des neuen Autors.This is the new author's book. | Die Idee eines unbekannten Autors ist brillant.The idea of an unknown author is brilliant. | Ich lese die Werke keines lebenden Autors.I read the works of no living author. |
| Nominativ | Die deutschen Autoren treffen sich heute.The German authors are meeting today. | Berühmte Autoren verdienen viel Geld.Famous authors earn a lot of money. | Keine neuen Autoren sind bekannt.No new authors are known. |
| Akkusativ | Er interviewt die jungen Autoren.He is interviewing the young authors. | Ich lese gerne spanische Autoren.I like to read Spanish authors. | Wir kennen keine französischen Autoren.We don't know any French authors. |
| Dativ | Er spricht mit den berühmten Autoren.He is talking with the famous authors. | Das Festival hilft jungen Autoren.The festival helps young authors. | Ich lerne von keinen schlechten Autoren.I don't learn from any bad authors. |
| Genitiv | Die Werke der klassischen Autoren sind teuer.The works of the classic authors are expensive. | Die Liste bekannter Autoren ist lang.The list of well-known authors is long. | Trotz keiner anwesenden Autoren war es gut.Despite no authors being present, it was good. |
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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 Autor?
It is der Autor. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Autor 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 Autor?
The German noun Autor is categorized as Elementary (A2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of der Autor?
The noun Autor is typically used in the singular form (Singularetantum) or has a plural form identical to the singular.
What does der Autor mean in English?
The German word der Autor translates to “author” in English.
How do you decline der Autor?
Like all German nouns, Autor changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: der Autor
- Akkusativ: den Autor
- Dativ: dem Autor
- Genitiv: des Autors
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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