Why does the noun Erdbeere have the article die?

Many fruit names are feminine.

Examples

die Birne (pear), die Kirsche (cherry), die Pflaume (plum), die Erdbeere (strawberry), die Himbeere (raspberry), die Traube (grape), die Orange (orange)

Exceptions

der Apfel (apple), der Pfirsich (peach)

Declension table for German noun Erdbeere

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Erdbeereeine Erdbeerekeine Erdbeere
Akkusativdie Erdbeereeine Erdbeerekeine Erdbeere
Dativder Erdbeereeiner Erdbeerekeiner Erdbeere
Genitivder Erdbeereeiner Erdbeerekeiner Erdbeere

Examples in context

Real sentences using Erdbeere in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die rote Erdbeere ist reif.The red strawberry is ripe.
Eine frische Erdbeere schmeckt süß.A fresh strawberry tastes sweet.
Keine große Erdbeere ist hier.No big strawberry is here.
Akkusativ
Ich esse die süße Erdbeere gern.I like to eat the sweet strawberry.
Er kauft eine große Erdbeere am Markt.He buys a big strawberry at the market.
Wir sehen keine frische Erdbeere im Korb.We don't see any fresh strawberry in the basket.
Dativ
Ich gebe der kleinen Erdbeere Wasser.I give water to the small strawberry.
Ich helfe einer jungen Erdbeere zu wachsen.I help a young strawberry to grow.
Ich gebe keiner kranken Erdbeere Dünger.I don't give fertilizer to any sick strawberry.
Genitiv
Der Geschmack der reifen Erdbeere ist gut.The taste of the ripe strawberry is good.
Der Geschmack einer frischen Erdbeere ist süß.The taste of a fresh strawberry is sweet.
Der Geschmack keiner faulen Erdbeere ist gut.The taste of no rotten strawberry is good.

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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 Erdbeere?

It is die Erdbeere. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Erdbeere 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 Erdbeere?

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

What is the plural of die Erdbeere?

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

What does die Erdbeere mean in English?

The German word die Erdbeere translates to “strawberry” in English.

How do you decline die Erdbeere?

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

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.