Why does the noun Dezember have the article der?

Months are masculine.

Examples

der Januar (January), der Februar (February), der März (March), der April (April), der Mai (May), der Juni (June), der Juli (July), der August (August), der September (September), der Oktober (October), der November (November), der Dezember (December)

Declension table for German noun Dezember

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Dezemberein Dezemberkein Dezember
Akkusativden Dezembereinen Dezemberkeinen Dezember
Dativdem Dezembereinem Dezemberkeinem Dezember
Genitivdes Dezemberseines Dezemberskeines Dezembers

Examples in context

Real sentences using Dezember in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der kalte Dezember beginnt heute.The cold December begins today.
Ein langer Dezember ist oft dunkel.A long December is often dark.
Kein warmer Dezember kommt dieses Jahr.No warm December is coming this year.
Akkusativ
Ich mag den kalten Dezember.I like the cold December.
Wir planen einen schönen Dezember.We are planning a beautiful December.
Ich sehe keinen warmen Dezember.I don't see any warm December.
Dativ
In dem kalten Dezember ist es dunkel.In the cold December it is dark.
In einem kalten Dezember war ich hier.In a cold December I was here.
In keinem warmen Dezember war ich dort.In no warm December was I there.
Genitiv
Das Ende des kalten Dezembers naht.The end of the cold December is approaching.
Der Beginn eines schönen Dezembers ist gut.The beginning of a beautiful December is good.
Die Kälte keines warmen Dezembers stört mich.The cold of no warm December bothers me.

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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 Dezember?

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

The German noun Dezember is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of der Dezember?

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

What does der Dezember mean in English?

The German word der Dezember translates to “December” in English.

How do you decline der Dezember?

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

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.