Why does the noun Ferne 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 Ferne

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Ferneeine Fernekeine Ferne
Akkusativdie Ferneeine Fernekeine Ferne
Dativdie Ferneeiner Fernekeiner Ferne
Genitivder Ferneeiner Fernekeiner Ferne

Examples in context

Real sentences using Ferne in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die weite Ferne lockt mich.The far distance attracts me.
Eine große Ferne ist dort.A great distance is there.
Keine nahe Ferne ist sichtbar.No near distance is visible.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe die weite Ferne.I see the far distance.
Er sucht eine große Ferne.He is looking for a great distance.
Sie mag keine dunkele Ferne.She doesn't like a dark distance.
Dativ
Ich blicke in die weite Ferne.I look into the far distance.
Er träumt von einer unbekannten Ferne.He dreams of an unknown distance.
Sie geht keiner nahen Ferne entgegen.She doesn't go towards any near distance.
Genitiv
Die Schönheit der weiten Ferne ist groß.The beauty of the far distance is great.
Der Reiz einer unbekannten Ferne ist stark.The charm of an unknown distance is strong.
Die Gefahr keiner nahen Ferne ist gering.The danger of no near distance 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 Ferne?

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

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

What does die Ferne mean in English?

The German word die Ferne translates to “distance” in English.

How do you decline die Ferne?

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

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.