Singular
der
Chef
head, leader, boss
Plural: die Chefs
Why does the noun Chef have the article der?
Nouns referring to male persons are masculine.
Examples
der Mann (man), der Vater (father), der Bruder (brother), der Sohn (son), der Onkel (uncle), der Neffe (nephew), der Großvater (grandfather)
Declension table for German noun Chef
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Chef | ein Chef | kein Chef |
| Akkusativ | den Chef | einen Chef | keinen Chef |
| Dativ | dem Chef | einem Chef | keinem Chef |
| Genitiv | des Chefs | eines Chefs | keines Chefs |
| Nominativ | die Chefs | Chefs | keine Chefs |
| Akkusativ | die Chefs | Chefs | keine Chefs |
| Dativ | den Chefs | Chefs | keinen Chefs |
| Genitiv | der Chefs | Chefs | keiner Chefs |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Chef in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Der neue Chef ist sehr nett.The new boss is very nice. | Ein guter Chef hört immer zu.A good boss always listens. | Kein neuer Chef war heute da.No new boss was there today. |
| Akkusativ | Ich kenne den neuen Chef.I know the new boss. | Wir suchen einen guten Chef.We are looking for a good boss. | Er hat keinen netten Chef.He doesn't have a nice boss. |
| Dativ | Ich spreche mit dem alten Chef.I am speaking with the old boss. | Sie hilft einem neuen Chef.She is helping a new boss. | Das gefällt keinem guten Chef.No good boss likes that. |
| Genitiv | Das Auto des neuen Chefs ist blau.The new boss's car is blue. | Das ist die Idee eines guten Chefs.That is the idea of a good boss. | Die Meinung keines neuen Chefs war wichtig.The opinion of no new boss was important. |
| Nominativ | Die alten Chefs gehen in Rente.The old bosses are retiring. | Nette Chefs sind selten.Nice bosses are rare. | Keine neuen Chefs kommen heute.No new bosses are coming today. |
| Akkusativ | Sie mag die neuen Chefs.She likes the new bosses. | Die Firma hat gute Chefs.The company has good bosses. | Ich sehe keine strengen Chefs.I don't see any strict bosses. |
| Dativ | Wir danken den netten Chefs.We thank the nice bosses. | Er arbeitet mit erfahrenen Chefs.He works with experienced bosses. | Ich lerne von keinen schlechten Chefs.I don't learn from any bad bosses. |
| Genitiv | Die Büros der neuen Chefs sind modern.The offices of the new bosses are modern. | Die Erfahrung guter Chefs ist wertvoll.The experience of good bosses is valuable. | Die Anweisungen keiner neuen Chefs waren klar.The instructions of no new bosses were 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 Chef?
It is der Chef. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Chef 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 Chef?
The German noun Chef is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of der Chef?
The plural form of der Chef is die Chefs. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does der Chef mean in English?
The German word der Chef translates to “head, leader, boss” in English.
How do you decline der Chef?
Like all German nouns, Chef changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: der Chef
- Akkusativ: den Chef
- Dativ: dem Chef
- Genitiv: des Chefs
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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