Why does the noun Gemeinde 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 Gemeinde

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Gemeindeeine Gemeindekeine Gemeinde
Akkusativdie Gemeindeeine Gemeindekeine Gemeinde
Dativder Gemeindeeiner Gemeindekeiner Gemeinde
Genitivder Gemeindeeiner Gemeindekeiner Gemeinde

Examples in context

Real sentences using Gemeinde in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die kleine Gemeinde hat einen neuen Bürgermeister.The small community has a new mayor.
Das ist eine bekannte Gemeinde in Bayern.That is a well-known community in Bavaria.
Keine arme Gemeinde möchte die Steuern erhöhen.No poor community wants to raise taxes.
Akkusativ
Ich besuche die katholische Gemeinde morgen.I am visiting the Catholic community tomorrow.
Er gründete eine neue Gemeinde.He founded a new community.
Wir wollen keine politische Gemeinde bilden.We don't want to form a political community.
Dativ
Ich helfe der lokalen Gemeinde gerne.I enjoy helping the local community.
Er wohnt in einer kleinen Gemeinde.He lives in a small community.
Das Projekt nützt keiner einzelnen Gemeinde.The project benefits no single community.
Genitiv
Die Geschichte der hiesigen Gemeinde ist interessant.The history of the local community is interesting.
Das Wappen einer reichen Gemeinde zeigt einen Bären.The coat of arms of a rich community shows a bear.
Die Zustimmung keiner kirchlichen Gemeinde liegt vor.The approval of no church community is present.

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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 Gemeinde?

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

The German noun Gemeinde is categorized as Intermediate (B1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of die Gemeinde?

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

What does die Gemeinde mean in English?

The German word die Gemeinde translates to “community, municipality” in English.

How do you decline die Gemeinde?

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

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.