Why does the noun Dame have the article die?
Nouns referring to female persons are feminine.
Examples
die Frau (woman), die Mutter (mother), die Schwester (sister), die Tochter (daughter), die Tante (aunt), die Nichte (niece), die Großmutter (grandmother)
Exceptions
das Mädchen (girl), das Fräulein (Miss) - due to diminutive -chen/-lein
Declension table for German noun Dame
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Dame | eine Dame | keine Dame |
| Akkusativ | die Dame | eine Dame | keine Dame |
| Dativ | der Dame | einer Dame | keiner Dame |
| Genitiv | der Dame | einer Dame | keiner Dame |
| Nominativ | die Damen | Damen | keine Damen |
| Akkusativ | die Damen | Damen | keine Damen |
| Dativ | den Damen | Damen | keinen Damen |
| Genitiv | der Damen | Damen | keiner Damen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Dame in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die junge Dame lächelt freundlich.The young lady smiles kindly. | Eine elegante Dame kommt herein.An elegant lady comes in. | Keine alte Dame ist hier.No old lady is here. |
| Akkusativ | Ich sehe die junge Dame.I see the young lady. | Er grüßt eine elegante Dame.He greets an elegant lady. | Sie kennt keine alte Dame.She knows no old lady. |
| Dativ | Ich helfe der jungen Dame.I help the young lady. | Er spricht mit einer eleganten Dame.He speaks with an elegant lady. | Sie glaubt keiner alten Dame.She believes no old lady. |
| Genitiv | Die Tasche der jungen Dame ist neu.The bag of the young lady is new. | Der Hut einer eleganten Dame ist schön.The hat of an elegant lady is beautiful. | Der Name keiner alten Dame ist bekannt.The name of no elderly lady is known. |
| Nominativ | Die jungen Damen warten draußen.The young ladies are waiting outside. | Elegante Damen sprechen leise.Elegant ladies speak softly. | Keine alten Damen sind müde.No old ladies are tired. |
| Akkusativ | Wir treffen die jungen Damen.We meet the young ladies. | Ich sehe elegante Damen.I see elegant ladies. | Er findet keine alten Damen.He finds no old ladies. |
| Dativ | Wir geben den jungen Damen Blumen.We give flowers to the young ladies. | Man hilft eleganten Damen gern.One likes to help elegant ladies. | Ich vertraue keinen alten Damen.I trust no old ladies. |
| Genitiv | Die Kleider der jungen Damen sind schick.The dresses of the young ladies are chic. | Die Stimmen eleganter Damen sind leise.The voices of elegant ladies are soft. | Der Schmuck keiner alten Damen ist verloren.The jewelry of no old ladies is lost. |
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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 Dame?
It is die Dame. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Dame is feminine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.
What CEFR level is the word Dame?
The German noun Dame is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Dame?
The plural form of die Dame is die Damen. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Dame mean in English?
The German word die Dame translates to “lady” in English.
How do you decline die Dame?
Like all German nouns, Dame changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Dame
- Akkusativ: die Dame
- Dativ: der Dame
- Genitiv: der Dame
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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