Why does the noun Fahne 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 Fahne

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Fahneeine Fahnekeine Fahne
Akkusativdie Fahneeine Fahnekeine Fahne
Dativder Fahneeiner Fahnekeiner Fahne
Genitivder Fahneeiner Fahnekeiner Fahne

Examples in context

Real sentences using Fahne in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die große Fahne weht im Wind.The large flag waves in the wind.
Eine bunte Fahne hängt dort.A colorful flag hangs there.
Keine alte Fahne ist sichtbar.No old flag is visible.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe die rote Fahne.I see the red flag.
Er hisst eine neue Fahne.He hoists a new flag.
Sie mag keine alte Fahne.She doesn't like an old flag.
Dativ
Er steht vor der blauen Fahne.He stands in front of the blue flag.
Sie träumt von einer schönen Fahne.She dreams of a beautiful flag.
Ich laufe keiner kaputten Fahne nach.I don't run after any broken flag.
Genitiv
Die Farbe der großen Fahne ist rot.The color of the large flag is red.
Der Mast einer neuen Fahne ist hoch.The mast of a new flag is high.
Der Wert keiner alten Fahne ist bekannt.The value of no old flag 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 Fahne?

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

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

What does die Fahne mean in English?

The German word die Fahne translates to “flag” in English.

How do you decline die Fahne?

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

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.