Why does the noun Geschichte 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 Geschichte

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Geschichteeine Geschichtekeine Geschichte
Akkusativdie Geschichteeine Geschichtekeine Geschichte
Dativder Geschichteeiner Geschichtekeiner Geschichte
Genitivder Geschichteeiner Geschichtekeiner Geschichte

Examples in context

Real sentences using Geschichte in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die alte Geschichte ist sehr bekannt.The old story is very well-known.
Eine neue Geschichte beginnt hier.A new story begins here.
Keine interessante Geschichte kann wahr sein.No interesting story can be true.
Akkusativ
Er liest die ganze Geschichte.He is reading the whole story.
Ich kenne eine ähnliche Geschichte.I know a similar story.
Sie erzählt keine traurige Geschichte.She tells no sad story.
Dativ
Ich lausche der spannenden Geschichte.I am listening to the exciting story.
Er glaubt einer unglaublichen Geschichte.He believes an unbelievable story.
Sie vertraut keiner falschen Geschichte.She trusts no false story.
Genitiv
Das Ende der langen Geschichte ist traurig.The end of the long story is sad.
Der Autor einer berühmten Geschichte ist unbekannt.The author of a famous story is unknown.
Trotz keiner schlechten Geschichte gab er nicht auf.Despite no bad story, he didn't give up.

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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 Geschichte?

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

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

What is the plural of die Geschichte?

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

What does die Geschichte mean in English?

The German word die Geschichte translates to “history, story” in English.

How do you decline die Geschichte?

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

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.