Why does the noun Fremde 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 Fremde

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Fremdeeine Fremdekeine Fremde
Akkusativdie Fremdeeine Fremdekeine Fremde
Dativder Fremdeneiner Fremdenkeiner Fremden
Genitivder Fremdeneiner Fremdenkeiner Fremden

Examples in context

Real sentences using Fremde in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die junge Fremde spricht Deutsch.The young stranger speaks German.
Eine nette Fremde fragt nach dem Weg.A nice stranger asks for directions.
Keine alte Fremde ist hier.No old stranger is here.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe die junge Fremde dort.I see the young stranger there.
Wir treffen eine nette Fremde.We meet a nice stranger.
Er kennt keine alte Fremde.He knows no old stranger.
Dativ
Ich helfe der jungen Fremden gern.I like to help the young stranger.
Er spricht mit einer netten Fremden.He speaks with a nice stranger.
Sie gibt keiner alten Fremden Hilfe.She gives no old stranger help.
Genitiv
Die Tasche der jungen Fremden ist schwer.The bag of the young stranger is heavy.
Der Name einer netten Fremden ist unbekannt.The name of a nice stranger is unknown.
Die Geschichte keiner alten Fremden ist interessant.The story of no old stranger is interesting.

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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 Fremde?

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

The noun Fremde is typically used in the singular form (Singularetantum) or has a plural form identical to the singular.

What does die Fremde mean in English?

The German word die Fremde translates to “stranger, foreign land” in English.

How do you decline die Fremde?

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

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.