Why does the noun Gesundheit have the article die?

Nouns ending in -heit are always feminine. Look at the bolded -heit in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

die Freiheit (freedom), die Schönheit (beauty), die Krankheit (illness), die Wahrheit (truth), die Sicherheit (safety), die Gesundheit (health)

Declension table for German noun Gesundheit

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Gesundheiteine Gesundheitkeine Gesundheit
Akkusativdie Gesundheiteine Gesundheitkeine Gesundheit
Dativder Gesundheiteiner Gesundheitkeiner Gesundheit
Genitivder Gesundheiteiner Gesundheitkeiner Gesundheit

Examples in context

Real sentences using Gesundheit in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die gute Gesundheit ist ein Geschenk.Good health is a gift.
Eine stabile Gesundheit ist wichtig.A stable health is important.
Keine schlechte Gesundheit ist hier.No bad health is here.
Akkusativ
Ich wünsche dir die beste Gesundheit.I wish you the best health.
Man braucht eine gute Gesundheit.One needs good health.
Er hat keine schlechte Gesundheit.He has no bad health.
Dativ
Zu der guten Gesundheit gehört Sport.Sport belongs to good health.
Man vertraut einer guten Gesundheit.One trusts in good health.
Mit keiner schlechten Gesundheit ist man glücklich.One is not happy with no bad health.
Genitiv
Der Zustand der guten Gesundheit ist stabil.The state of good health is stable.
Die Bedeutung einer guten Gesundheit ist klar.The importance of good health is clear.
Die Ursache keiner schlechten Gesundheit ist bekannt.The cause of no bad health is known.

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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 Gesundheit?

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

The German noun Gesundheit is categorized as Elementary (A2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of die Gesundheit?

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

What does die Gesundheit mean in English?

The German word die Gesundheit translates to “health” in English.

How do you decline die Gesundheit?

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

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.