Singular
das
Fundament
foundation
Plural: die Fundamente
Why does the noun Fundament have the article das?
Nouns ending in -ment are neuter. Look at the bolded -ment in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.
Examples
das Instrument (instrument), das Dokument (document), das Element (element), das Experiment (experiment), das Argument (argument), das Moment (moment)
Exceptions
der Moment (moment in time) vs das Moment (factor/aspect) - different meanings
Declension table for German noun Fundament
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | das Fundament | ein Fundament | kein Fundament |
| Akkusativ | das Fundament | ein Fundament | kein Fundament |
| Dativ | dem Fundament | einem Fundament | keinem Fundament |
| Genitiv | des Fundaments | eines Fundaments | keines Fundaments |
| Nominativ | die Fundamente | Fundamente | keine Fundamente |
| Akkusativ | die Fundamente | Fundamente | keine Fundamente |
| Dativ | den Fundamenten | Fundamenten | keinen Fundamenten |
| Genitiv | der Fundamente | Fundamente | keiner Fundamente |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Fundament in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Das alte Fundament ist sehr stabil.The old foundation is very stable. | Ein neues Fundament ist wichtig für das Haus.A new foundation is important for the house. | Kein festes Fundament ist hier vorhanden.No solid foundation is available here. |
| Akkusativ | Wir sehen das alte Fundament.We see the old foundation. | Er braucht ein neues Fundament.He needs a new foundation. | Sie haben kein festes Fundament.They have no solid foundation. |
| Dativ | Er arbeitet an dem alten Fundament.He is working on the old foundation. | Sie gibt Stabilität einem neuen Fundament.She gives stability to a new foundation. | Er baut auf keinem festen Fundament.He builds on no solid foundation. |
| Genitiv | Die Stärke des alten Fundaments ist bekannt.The strength of the old foundation is known. | Die Stärke eines neuen Fundaments ist wichtig.The strength of a new foundation is important. | Die Stärke keines festen Fundaments ist gut.The strength of no solid foundation is good. |
| Nominativ | Die alten Fundamente sind sehr stabil.The old foundations are very stable. | Neue Fundamente sind wichtig für die Häuser.New foundations are important for the houses. | Keine festen Fundamente sind hier vorhanden.No solid foundations are available here. |
| Akkusativ | Wir sehen die alten Fundamente.We see the old foundations. | Er braucht neue Fundamente für das Haus.He needs new foundations for the house. | Sie haben keine festen Fundamente.They have no solid foundations. |
| Dativ | Er arbeitet an den alten Fundamenten.He is working on the old foundations. | Sie gibt Stabilität neuen Fundamenten.She gives stability to new foundations. | Er baut auf keinen festen Fundamenten.He builds on no solid foundations. |
| Genitiv | Die Stärke der alten Fundamente ist bekannt.The strength of the old foundations is known. | Die Stärke neuer Fundamente ist wichtig.The strength of new foundations is important. | Die Stärke keiner festen Fundamente ist gut.The strength of no solid foundations is good. |
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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 Fundament?
It is das Fundament. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Fundament is neuter. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.
What CEFR level is the word Fundament?
The German noun Fundament is categorized as Upper-Intermediate (B2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of das Fundament?
The plural form of das Fundament is die Fundamente. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does das Fundament mean in English?
The German word das Fundament translates to “foundation” in English.
How do you decline das Fundament?
Like all German nouns, Fundament changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: das Fundament
- Akkusativ: das Fundament
- Dativ: dem Fundament
- Genitiv: des Fundaments
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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