Why does the noun Gewalt have the article die?

Most nouns beginning with prefix Ge- are neuter.

Examples

das Gebäude (building), das Gespräch (conversation), das Geschenk (gift), das Getränk (drink), das Geschirr (dishes), das Gemüse (vegetables)

Exceptions

der Gebrauch (use), der Gedanke (thought), der Geruch (smell), der Geschmack (taste), der Gewinn (profit), die Gefahr (danger), die Geschichte (history), die Geduld (patience), die Gewalt (power)

Declension table for German noun Gewalt

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Gewalteine Gewaltkeine Gewalt
Akkusativdie Gewalteine Gewaltkeine Gewalt
Dativder Gewalteiner Gewaltkeiner Gewalt
Genitivder Gewalteiner Gewaltkeiner Gewalt

Examples in context

Real sentences using Gewalt in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die große Gewalt ist schlimm.The great violence is bad.
Eine große Gewalt ist gefährlich.A great violence is dangerous.
Keine große Gewalt ist gut.No great violence is good.
Akkusativ
Wir sehen die große Gewalt.We see the great violence.
Er übt eine große Gewalt aus.He exerts great violence.
Sie duldet keine große Gewalt.She doesn't tolerate great violence.
Dativ
Wir stellen uns der rohen Gewalt entgegen.We stand up to the raw violence.
Er begegnet einer großen Gewalt.He encounters great violence.
Sie gibt keiner großen Gewalt nach.She doesn't yield to great violence.
Genitiv
Die Ursache der großen Gewalt ist komplex.The cause of the great violence is complex.
Die Wirkung einer großen Gewalt ist stark.The effect of great violence is strong.
Die Folge keiner großen Gewalt ist Frieden.The consequence of no great violence is peace.

GET THE APP

Practice die Gewalt in the app

Master die Gewalt (and 5,000+ other German nouns) with quizzes, smart review, and instant grammar tips.

  • 5,000+ nouns with translations in 11 languages
  • Quizzes by level, category, or your weakest words
  • Snap a photo of any German text — extract nouns instantly
Der Artikel app — quiz screen Der Artikel app — grammar rule tooltip

Frequently asked questions

Everything you might wonder about der, die, das — and the Der Artikel app.

Is it der, die, or das Gewalt?

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

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

What is the plural of die Gewalt?

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

What does die Gewalt mean in English?

The German word die Gewalt translates to “violence, force” in English.

How do you decline die Gewalt?

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

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.