Why does the noun Besucher 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 Besucher

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Besucherein Besucherkein Besucher
Akkusativden Besuchereinen Besucherkeinen Besucher
Dativdem Besuchereinem Besucherkeinem Besucher
Genitivdes Besucherseines Besucherskeines Besuchers

Examples in context

Real sentences using Besucher in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der fremde Besucher kommt gleich.The foreign visitor is coming soon.
Ein fremder Besucher wartet draußen.A foreign visitor is waiting outside.
Kein fremder Besucher ist im Museum.No foreign visitor is in the museum.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe den wichtigen Besucher.I see the important visitor.
Wir erwarten einen wichtigen Besucher.We are expecting an important visitor.
Er kennt keinen wichtigen Besucher.He doesn't know any important visitor.
Dativ
Ich helfe dem alten Besucher.I am helping the old visitor.
Das gefällt einem alten Besucher.An old visitor likes that.
Sie spricht mit keinem alten Besucher.She is not speaking with any old visitor.
Genitiv
Das ist die Tasche des jungen Besuchers.That is the bag of the young visitor.
Der Name eines jungen Besuchers ist unbekannt.The name of a young visitor is unknown.
Ich sehe das Gepäck keines jungen Besuchers.I see the luggage of no young visitor.

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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 Besucher?

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

The German noun Besucher is categorized as Elementary (A2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of der Besucher?

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

What does der Besucher mean in English?

The German word der Besucher translates to “visitor” in English.

How do you decline der Besucher?

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

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.