Why does the noun Gletscher have the article der?

Nouns formed from verbs with -er ending are mostly masculine. Look at the bolded -er in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

der Lehrer (teacher), der Fahrer (driver), der Arbeiter (worker), der Schreiber (writer), der Spieler (player), der Maler (painter)

Exceptions

das Fenster (window), das Wasser (water), die Butter (butter), die Mutter (mother)

Declension table for German noun Gletscher

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Gletscherein Gletscherkein Gletscher
Akkusativden Gletschereinen Gletscherkeinen Gletscher
Dativdem Gletschereinem Gletscherkeinem Gletscher
Genitivdes Gletscherseines Gletscherskeines Gletschers

Examples in context

Real sentences using Gletscher in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der neue Gletscher ist groß.The new glacier is large.
Ein guter Gletscher liegt hier.A good glacier lies here.
Kein alter Gletscher ist klein.No old glacier is small.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe den neuen Gletscher.I see the new glacier.
Wir brauchen einen guten Gletscher.We need a good glacier.
Er hat keinen alten Gletscher.He has no old glacier.
Dativ
Ich arbeite auf dem neuen Gletscher.I work on the new glacier.
Ich gehe zu einem guten Gletscher.I go to a good glacier.
Er kommt von keinem alten Gletscher.He comes from no old glacier.
Genitiv
Die Größe des neuen Gletschers ist enorm.The size of the new glacier is enormous.
Der Rand eines guten Gletschers ist scharf.The edge of a good glacier is sharp.
Die Farbe keines alten Gletschers ist weiß.The color of no old glacier is white.

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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 Gletscher?

It is der Gletscher. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Gletscher 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 Gletscher?

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

What does der Gletscher mean in English?

The German word der Gletscher translates to “glacier” in English.

How do you decline der Gletscher?

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

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.