Why does the noun Briefmarke have the article die?

About 90% of nouns ending in -e are feminine.

Examples

die Lampe (lamp), die Schule (school), die Tasche (bag), die Klasse (class), die Straße (street), die Sonne (sun), die Blume (flower)

Exceptions

der Junge (boy), der Löwe (lion), der Affe (monkey), der Name (name), der Käse (cheese), das Ende (end), das Auge (eye)

Declension table for German noun Briefmarke

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Briefmarkeeine Briefmarkekeine Briefmarke
Akkusativdie Briefmarkeeine Briefmarkekeine Briefmarke
Dativder Briefmarkeeiner Briefmarkekeiner Briefmarke
Genitivder Briefmarkeeiner Briefmarkekeiner Briefmarke

Examples in context

Real sentences using Briefmarke in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die neue Briefmarke ist hier.The new stamp is here.
Eine neue Briefmarke liegt dort.A new stamp is lying there.
Hier ist keine neue Briefmarke.Here is no new stamp.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe die neue Briefmarke.I see the new stamp.
Er braucht eine neue Briefmarke.He needs a new stamp.
Sie hat keine neue Briefmarke.She has no new stamp.
Dativ
Ich schreibe auf der neuen Briefmarke.I write on the new stamp.
Er legt es in einer neuen Briefmarke.He puts it in a new stamp.
Ich finde nichts in keiner neuen Briefmarke.I find nothing in no new stamp.
Genitiv
Die Farbe der neuen Briefmarke ist schön.The color of the new stamp is beautiful.
Der Inhalt einer neuen Briefmarke fehlt.The content of a new stamp is missing.
Ich sehe die Rückseite keiner neuen Briefmarke.I see the back of no new stamp.

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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 Briefmarke?

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

What is the plural of die Briefmarke?

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

What does die Briefmarke mean in English?

The German word die Briefmarke translates to “stamp” in English.

How do you decline die Briefmarke?

Like all German nouns, Briefmarke changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
  • Nominativ: die Briefmarke
  • Akkusativ: die Briefmarke
  • Dativ: der Briefmarke
  • Genitiv: der Briefmarke

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.