Elfenbein

Q: Is it der, die, or das Elfenbein?

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

Q: What is the plural of das Elfenbein?

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

Q: What does das Elfenbein mean in English?

The German word das Elfenbein translates to “ivory” in English.

Q: How do you decline das Elfenbein?

Like all German nouns, Elfenbein changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are: Nominativ: das Elfenbein Akkusativ: das Elfenbein Dativ: dem Elfenbein Genitiv: des Elfenbeins 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.

ivory

Plural: die Elfenbeine

Strong

Why does the noun Elfenbein have the article das?

This noun follows no general suffix rule — its gender is part of the core vocabulary you simply learn alongside the word.

Declension table for German noun Elfenbein

How it changes across the four cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	das Elfenbein	ein Elfenbein	kein Elfenbein
Akkusativ	das Elfenbein	ein Elfenbein	kein Elfenbein
Dativ	dem Elfenbein	einem Elfenbein	keinem Elfenbein
Genitiv	des Elfenbeins	eines Elfenbeins	keines Elfenbeins
Nominativ	die Elfenbeine	Elfenbeine	keine Elfenbeine
Akkusativ	die Elfenbeine	Elfenbeine	keine Elfenbeine
Dativ	den Elfenbeinen	Elfenbeinen	keinen Elfenbeinen
Genitiv	der Elfenbeine	Elfenbeine	keiner Elfenbeine

Examples in context

Real sentences using Elfenbein in different cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	Das weiße Elfenbein ist teuer.The white ivory is expensive.	Ein altes Elfenbein liegt hier.An old ivory lies here.	Kein schönes Elfenbein ist dabei.No beautiful ivory is among them.
Akkusativ	Ich sehe das weiße Elfenbein.I see the white ivory.	Ich brauche ein altes Elfenbein.I need an old ivory.	Ich habe kein schönes Elfenbein.I have no beautiful ivory.
Dativ	Ich arbeite mit dem weißen Elfenbein.I work with the white ivory.	Ich spiele mit einem alten Elfenbein.I play with an old ivory.	Ich spiele mit keinem schönen Elfenbein.I play with no beautiful ivory.
Genitiv	Die Farbe des weißen Elfenbeins ist schön.The color of the white ivory is beautiful.	Der Preis eines alten Elfenbeins ist hoch.The price of an old ivory is high.	Der Wert keines schönen Elfenbeins ist bekannt.The value of no beautiful ivory is known.
Nominativ	Die weißen Elfenbeine sind teuer.The white ivories are expensive.	Alte Elfenbeine liegen hier.Old ivories lie here.	Keine schönen Elfenbeine sind dabei.No beautiful ivories are among them.
Akkusativ	Wir kaufen die weißen Elfenbeine.We buy the white ivories.	Wir kaufen alte Elfenbeine.We buy old ivories.	Wir haben keine schönen Elfenbeine.We have no beautiful ivories.
Dativ	Ich arbeite mit den weißen Elfenbeinen.I work with the white ivories.	Ich spiele mit alten Elfenbeinen.I play with old ivories.	Ich spiele mit keinen schönen Elfenbeinen.I play with no beautiful ivories.
Genitiv	Die Farbe der weißen Elfenbeine ist schön.The color of the white ivories is beautiful.	Der Preis alter Elfenbeine ist hoch.The price of old ivories is high.	Der Wert keiner schönen Elfenbeine ist bekannt.The value of no beautiful ivories is known.

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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 Elfenbein?

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

What is the plural of das Elfenbein?

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

What does das Elfenbein mean in English?

The German word das Elfenbein translates to “ivory” in English.

How do you decline das Elfenbein?

Like all German nouns, Elfenbein changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:

Nominativ: das Elfenbein
Akkusativ: das Elfenbein
Dativ: dem Elfenbein
Genitiv: des Elfenbeins

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.