Why does the noun Faktor have the article der?

Nouns ending in -or are mostly masculine. Look at the bolded -or in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

der Motor (motor), der Autor (author), der Faktor (factor), der Doktor (doctor), der Professor (professor), der Direktor (director), der Sponsor (sponsor)

Exceptions

das Labor (laboratory), das Tor (gate), das Fluor (fluorine), das Chlor (chlorine), das Dekor (decoration)

Declension table for German noun Faktor

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Faktorein Faktorkein Faktor
Akkusativden Faktoreinen Faktorkeinen Faktor
Dativdem Faktoreinem Faktorkeinem Faktor
Genitivdes Faktorseines Faktorskeines Faktors

Examples in context

Real sentences using Faktor in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der entscheidende Faktor ist unbekannt.The decisive factor is unknown.
Ein wichtiger Faktor wurde übersehen.An important factor was overlooked.
Kein einziger Faktor erklärt das Phänomen.No single factor explains the phenomenon.
Akkusativ
Man muss den menschlichen Faktor berücksichtigen.One must consider the human factor.
Die Analyse hat einen neuen Faktor ergeben.The analysis has revealed a new factor.
Ich sehe keinen entscheidenden Faktor.I see no decisive factor.
Dativ
Der Erfolg ist dem entscheidenden Faktor zu verdanken.The success is thanks to the decisive factor.
Alles hängt von einem einzigen Faktor ab.Everything depends on a single factor.
Mit keinem bekannten Faktor lässt sich das erklären.This cannot be explained by any known factor.
Genitiv
Die Rolle des menschlichen Faktors ist groß.The role of the human factor is large.
Aufgrund eines externen Faktors gab es Probleme.There were problems due to an external factor.
Trotz keines negativen Faktors scheiterte der Plan.Despite no negative factor, the plan failed.

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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 Faktor?

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

What CEFR level is the word Faktor?

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

What is the plural of der Faktor?

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

What does der Faktor mean in English?

The German word der Faktor translates to “factor” in English.

How do you decline der Faktor?

Like all German nouns, Faktor changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
  • Nominativ: der Faktor
  • Akkusativ: den Faktor
  • Dativ: dem Faktor
  • Genitiv: des Faktors

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.