Ball

Q: Is it der, die, or das Ball?

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

Q: What is the plural of der Ball?

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

Q: What does der Ball mean in English?

The German word der Ball translates to “ball” in English.

Q: How do you decline der Ball?

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

ball

Plural: die Bälle

Strong

Why does the noun Ball 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 Ball

How it changes across the four cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	der Ball	ein Ball	kein Ball
Akkusativ	den Ball	einen Ball	keinen Ball
Dativ	dem Ball	einem Ball	keinem Ball
Genitiv	des Balles	eines Balles	keines Balles
Nominativ	die Bälle	Bälle	keine Bälle
Akkusativ	die Bälle	Bälle	keine Bälle
Dativ	den Bällen	Bällen	keinen Bällen
Genitiv	der Bälle	Bällen	keinen Bällen

Examples in context

Real sentences using Ball in different cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	Der runde Ball ist rund.The ball is round.	Ein schneller Ball rollt schnell.A ball rolls fast.	Kein Ball ist hier.No ball is here.
Akkusativ	Ich werfe den Ball.I throw the ball.	Er kauft einen Ball.He buys a ball.	Sie hat keinen Ball.She has no ball.
Dativ	Er spielt mit dem Ball.He plays with the ball.	Er spielt mit einem Ball.He plays with a ball.	Er spielt mit keinem Ball.He plays with no ball.
Genitiv	Die Farbe des Balles ist rot.The color of the ball is red.	Die Farbe eines Balles ist blau.The color of a ball is blue.	Die Farbe keines Balles ist bekannt.The color of no ball is known.
Nominativ	Die neuen Bälle sind neu.The balls are new.	Wichtige Bälle sind wichtig.Balls are important.	Keine Bälle sind da.No balls are there.
Akkusativ	Wir spielen die Bälle.We play the balls.	Sie kaufen Bälle.They buy balls.	Ich sehe keine Bälle.I see no balls.
Dativ	Er spielt mit den Bällen.He plays with the balls.	Er spielt mit Bällen.He plays with balls.	Er spielt mit keinen Bällen.He plays with no balls.
Genitiv	Die Farben der Bälle sind bunt.The colors of the balls are colorful.	Die Farben von Bällen sind vielfältig.The colors of balls are diverse.	Die Farben von keinen Bällen sind langweilig.The colors of no balls are boring.

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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 Ball?

It is der Ball. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Ball 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 Ball?

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

What does der Ball mean in English?

The German word der Ball translates to “ball” in English.

How do you decline der Ball?

Like all German nouns, Ball changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:

Nominativ: der Ball
Akkusativ: den Ball
Dativ: dem Ball
Genitiv: des Balles

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.