Why does the noun Gewohnheit 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 Gewohnheit

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Gewohnheiteine Gewohnheit—
Akkusativdie Gewohnheiteine Gewohnheit—
Dativder Gewohnheiteiner Gewohnheit—
Genitivder Gewohnheiteiner Gewohnheit—

Examples in context

Real sentences using Gewohnheit in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
—
Akkusativ
—
Dativ
—
Genitiv
—

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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 Gewohnheit?

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

What is the plural of die Gewohnheit?

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

What does die Gewohnheit mean in English?

The German word die Gewohnheit translates to “habit” in English.

How do you decline die Gewohnheit?

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

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.