Singular
die
Familie
family
Plural: die Familien
Why does the noun Familie have the article die?
Nouns ending in -ie are feminine.
Examples
die Philosophie (philosophy), die Biologie (biology), die Demokratie (democracy), die Energie (energy), die Melodie (melody), die Symphonie (symphony)
Declension table for German noun Familie
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Familie | eine Familie | keine Familie |
| Akkusativ | die Familie | eine Familie | keine Familie |
| Dativ | der Familie | einer Familie | keiner Familie |
| Genitiv | der Familie | einer Familie | keiner Familie |
| Nominativ | die Familien | Familien | keine Familien |
| Akkusativ | die Familien | Familien | keine Familien |
| Dativ | den Familien | Familien | keinen Familien |
| Genitiv | der Familien | Familien | keiner Familien |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Familie in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die große Familie ist hier.The big family is here. | Hier wohnt eine nette Familie.A nice family lives here. | Keine Familie ist perfekt.No family is perfect. |
| Akkusativ | Ich sehe die glückliche Familie.I see the happy family. | Er hat eine kleine Familie.He has a small family. | Sie möchte keine große Familie.She doesn't want a big family. |
| Dativ | Ich helfe der armen Familie.I am helping the poor family. | Das Buch gehört einer freundlichen Familie.The book belongs to a friendly family. | Ich glaube keiner Familie.I don't believe any family. |
| Genitiv | Das Auto der Familie ist neu.The family's car is new. | Das ist das Haus einer großen Familie.This is the house of a big family. | Das ist das Problem keiner Familie.This is the problem of no family. |
| Nominativ | Die ganzen Familien kommen heute.The whole families are coming today. | Viele Familien machen Urlaub.Many families go on vacation. | Keine Familien waren im Park.No families were in the park. |
| Akkusativ | Wir besuchen die deutschen Familien.We are visiting the German families. | Ich kenne nette Familien hier.I know nice families here. | Er lädt keine Familien ein.He isn't inviting any families. |
| Dativ | Er dankt den netten Familien.He thanks the nice families. | Sie hilft vielen Familien.She helps many families. | Das gefällt keinen Familien.No families like that. |
| Genitiv | Die Kinder der Familien spielen.The families' children are playing. | Die Häuser vieler Familien sind alt.The houses of many families are old. | Das ist die Schuld keiner Familien.This is the fault of no families. |
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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 Familie?
It is die Familie. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Familie 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 Familie?
The German noun Familie is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Familie?
The plural form of die Familie is die Familien. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Familie mean in English?
The German word die Familie translates to “family” in English.
How do you decline die Familie?
Like all German nouns, Familie changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Familie
- Akkusativ: die Familie
- Dativ: der Familie
- Genitiv: der Familie
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.
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Strong Standard declension — no extra -(e)n. The 96% majority.
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