Why does the noun Etappe have the article die?

About 90% of nouns ending in -e are feminine.

Examples

die Lampe (lamp), die Schule (school), die Tasche (bag), die Klasse (class), die Straße (street), die Sonne (sun), die Blume (flower)

Exceptions

der Junge (boy), der Löwe (lion), der Affe (monkey), der Name (name), der Käse (cheese), das Ende (end), das Auge (eye)

Declension table for German noun Etappe

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Etappeeine Etappekeine Etappe
Akkusativdie Etappeeine Etappekeine Etappe
Dativder Etappeeiner Etappekeiner Etappe
Genitivder Etappeeiner Etappekeiner Etappe

Examples in context

Real sentences using Etappe in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die gute Etappe ist lang.The good stage is long.
Eine gute Etappe beginnt.A good stage begins.
Keine gute Etappe ist einfach.No good stage is easy.
Akkusativ
Wir erreichen die gute Etappe heute.We reach the good stage today.
Ich plane eine gute Etappe neu.I am planning a good stage anew.
Er sieht keine gute Etappe.He doesn't see any good stage.
Dativ
Wir nähern uns der guten Etappe.We are approaching the good stage.
Er hilft einer guten Etappe gern.He likes to help a good stage.
Sie spricht von keiner guten Etappe.She doesn't talk about any good stage.
Genitiv
Das Ende der guten Etappe ist nah.The end of the good stage is near.
Die Dauer einer guten Etappe ist lang.The duration of a good stage is long.
Die Wichtigkeit keiner guten Etappe ist gering.The importance of no good stage is low.

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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 Etappe?

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

What is the plural of die Etappe?

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

What does die Etappe mean in English?

The German word die Etappe translates to “stage, leg” in English.

How do you decline die Etappe?

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

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.