Why does the noun Ermittlung 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 Ermittlung

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Ermittlungeine Ermittlungkeine Ermittlung
Akkusativdie Ermittlungeine Ermittlungkeine Ermittlung
Dativder Ermittlungeiner Ermittlungkeiner Ermittlung
Genitivder Ermittlungeiner Ermittlungkeiner Ermittlung

Examples in context

Real sentences using Ermittlung in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die neue Ermittlung beginnt heute.The new investigation begins today.
Es gibt eine lange Ermittlung zum Fall.There is a long investigation into the case.
Keine schwierige Ermittlung ist nötig.No difficult investigation is necessary.
Akkusativ
Die Polizei führt die neue Ermittlung durch.The police are conducting the new investigation.
Wir erwarten eine lange Ermittlung.We expect a long investigation.
Sie will keine schwierige Ermittlung führen.She doesn't want to conduct a difficult investigation.
Dativ
Man arbeitet an der neuen Ermittlung.One is working on the new investigation.
Er hilft bei einer langen Ermittlung.He helps with a long investigation.
Mit keiner schwierigen Ermittlung ist es schwer.With no difficult investigation, it is hard.
Genitiv
Das Ergebnis der neuen Ermittlung ist da.The result of the new investigation is here.
Die Dauer einer langen Ermittlung ist lang.The duration of a long investigation is long.
Die Kosten keiner schwierigen Ermittlung sind hoch.The costs of no difficult investigation are high.

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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 Ermittlung?

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

The German noun Ermittlung is categorized as Intermediate (B1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of die Ermittlung?

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

What does die Ermittlung mean in English?

The German word die Ermittlung translates to “investigation” in English.

How do you decline die Ermittlung?

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

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.