Why does the noun Erinnerung have the article die?

Nouns ending in -ung are always feminine. Look at the bolded -ung in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

die Zeitung (newspaper), die Wohnung (apartment), die Bildung (education), die Hoffnung (hope), die Übung (exercise), die Meinung (opinion), die Erfahrung (experience)

Exceptions

der Sprung (jump), der Schwung (momentum) - these are verb stems, not the -ung suffix

Declension table for German noun Erinnerung

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Erinnerungeine Erinnerungkeine Erinnerung
Akkusativdie Erinnerungeine Erinnerungkeine Erinnerung
Dativder Erinnerungeiner Erinnerungkeiner Erinnerung
Genitivder Erinnerungeiner Erinnerungkeiner Erinnerung

Examples in context

Real sentences using Erinnerung in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die gute Erinnerung bleibt.The good memory remains.
Das ist eine schöne Erinnerung.That is a beautiful memory.
Keine gute Erinnerung ist das.That is no good memory.
Akkusativ
Ich habe die gute Erinnerung.I have the good memory.
Er teilt eine persönliche Erinnerung.He shares a personal memory.
Ich möchte keine schlechte Erinnerung.I don't want a bad memory.
Dativ
Ich lebe mit der schönen Erinnerung.I live with the beautiful memory.
Er hilft mir mit einer alten Erinnerung.He helps me with an old memory.
Ich kann mit keiner neuen Erinnerung helfen.I can't help with any new memory.
Genitiv
Das ist Teil der guten Erinnerung.That is part of the good memory.
Das ist der Anfang einer langen Erinnerung.That is the beginning of a long memory.
Das Foto ist Teil keiner guten Erinnerung.The photo is part of no good memory.

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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 Erinnerung?

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

The German noun Erinnerung is categorized as Elementary (A2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of die Erinnerung?

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

What does die Erinnerung mean in English?

The German word die Erinnerung translates to “memory” in English.

How do you decline die Erinnerung?

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

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.