Why does the noun Erziehung 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 Erziehung

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Erziehungeine Erziehungkeine Erziehung
Akkusativdie Erziehungeine Erziehungkeine Erziehung
Dativder Erziehungeiner Erziehungkeiner Erziehung
Genitivder Erziehungeiner Erziehungkeiner Erziehung

Examples in context

Real sentences using Erziehung in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die gute Erziehung ist wichtig.The good upbringing is important.
Eine gute Erziehung hilft immer.A good upbringing always helps.
Keine Erziehung ist perfekt.No upbringing is perfect.
Akkusativ
Ich mag die gute Erziehung.I like the good upbringing.
Er braucht eine gute Erziehung.He needs a good upbringing.
Ich habe keine Erziehung erhalten.I received no upbringing.
Dativ
Ich helfe der guten Erziehung.I help the good upbringing.
Ich stehe vor einer schwierigen Erziehung.I am facing a difficult question.
Ich helfe keiner Erziehung.I don't help any upbringing.
Genitiv
Die Wichtigkeit der guten Erziehung.The importance of the good upbringing.
Die Wichtigkeit einer Erziehung ist klar.The importance of an upbringing is clear.
Die Wichtigkeit keiner Erziehung ist bekannt.The importance of no upbringing 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 Erziehung?

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

The German noun Erziehung is categorized as Upper-Intermediate (B2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of die Erziehung?

The noun Erziehung is typically used in the singular form (Singularetantum) or has a plural form identical to the singular.

What does die Erziehung mean in English?

The German word die Erziehung translates to “upbringing, education” in English.

How do you decline die Erziehung?

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

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.