General

Q: Is it der, die, or das General?

It is der General. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and General is masculine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.

Q: What is the plural of der General?

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

Q: What does der General mean in English?

The German word der General translates to “general” in English.

Q: How do you decline der General?

Like all German nouns, General changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are: Nominativ: der General Akkusativ: den General Dativ: dem General Genitiv: des Generals 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.

general

Plural: die Generale

Strong

Why does the noun General have the article der?

This noun follows no general suffix rule — its gender is part of the core vocabulary you simply learn alongside the word.

Declension table for German noun General

How it changes across the four cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	der General	ein General	kein General
Akkusativ	den General	einen General	keinen General
Dativ	dem General	einem General	keinem General
Genitiv	des Generals	eines Generals	keines Generals
Nominativ	die Generale	Generale	keine Generale
Akkusativ	die Generale	Generale	keine Generale
Dativ	den Generalen	Generalen	keinen Generalen
Genitiv	der Generale	Generale	keiner Generale

Examples in context

Real sentences using General in different cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	Der alte General kommt heute an.The old general arrives today.	Ein junger General spricht jetzt.A young general is speaking now.	Kein neuer General ist hier.No new general is here.
Akkusativ	Ich sehe den müden General.I see the tired general.	Wir suchen einen guten General.We are looking for a good general.	Sie kennen keinen alten General.They don't know any old general.
Dativ	Ich helfe dem jungen General.I help the young general.	Er spricht mit einem neuen General.He speaks with a new general.	Ich gebe keinem alten General Befehle.I give no orders to any old general.
Genitiv	Das Auto des alten Generals ist groß.The old general's car is big.	Die Rede eines eines jungen Generals war lang.A young general's speech was long.	Die Meinung keines keines neuen Generals zählt.The opinion of no new general counts.
Nominativ	Die alten Generale sind hier.The old generals are here.	Junge Generale kommen oft.Young generals often come.	Keine neuen Generale sind anwesend.No new generals are present.
Akkusativ	Wir sehen die müden Generale.We see the tired generals.	Ich treffe gute Generale.I meet good generals.	Sie kennen keine alten Generale.They don't know any old generals.
Dativ	Ich helfe den jungen Generalen.I help the young generals.	Er spricht mit neuen Generalen.He speaks with new generals.	Ich gebe keinen alten Generalen Befehle.I give no orders to any old generals.
Genitiv	Die Autos der alten Generale sind groß.The old generals' cars are big.	Die Reden junger Generale waren lang.Young generals' speeches were long.	Die Meinung keiner neuen Generale zählt.The opinion of no new generals counts.

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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 General?

It is der General. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and General is masculine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.

What is the plural of der General?

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

What does der General mean in English?

The German word der General translates to “general” in English.

How do you decline der General?

Like all German nouns, General changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:

Nominativ: der General
Akkusativ: den General
Dativ: dem General
Genitiv: des Generals

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.