Singular

der

Hammer

Q: Is it der, die, or das Hammer?

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

Q: What is the plural of der Hammer?

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

Q: What does der Hammer mean in English?

The German word der Hammer translates to “hammer” in English.

Q: How do you decline der Hammer?

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

hammer

Plural: die Hämmer

Strong

Why does the noun Hammer 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)

View all words for this rule

Declension table for German noun Hammer

How it changes across the four cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	der Hammer	ein Hammer	kein Hammer
Akkusativ	den Hammer	einen Hammer	keinen Hammer
Dativ	dem Hammer	einem Hammer	keinem Hammer
Genitiv	des Hammers	eines Hammers	keines Hammers
Nominativ	die Hämmer	Hämmer	keine Hämmer
Akkusativ	die Hämmer	Hämmer	keine Hämmer
Dativ	den Hämmern	Hämmern	keinen Hämmern
Genitiv	der Hämmer	Hämmer	keiner Hämmer

Examples in context

Real sentences using Hammer in different cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	Der schwere Hammer liegt auf dem Tisch.The heavy hammer lies on the table.	Ein schwerer Hammer ist hier.A heavy hammer is here.	Kein schwerer Hammer ist nötig.No heavy hammer is needed.
Akkusativ	Ich brauche den schweren Hammer.I need the heavy hammer.	Er sucht einen schweren Hammer.He is looking for a heavy hammer.	Wir kaufen keinen schweren Hammer.We are not buying any heavy hammer.
Dativ	Ich arbeite mit dem schweren Hammer.I work with the heavy hammer.	Er schlägt mit einem schweren Hammer.He hits with a heavy hammer.	Ich arbeite mit keinem schweren Hammer.I don't work with any heavy hammer.
Genitiv	Der Griff des schweren Hammers ist alt.The handle of the heavy hammer is old.	Die Kraft eines eines schweren Hammers ist groß.The force of a heavy hammer is great.	Die Wirkung keines keines schweren Hammers ist gut.The effect of no heavy hammer is good.
Nominativ	Die schweren Hämmer sind im Werkzeugkasten.The heavy hammers are in the toolbox.	Schwere Hämmer liegen überall.Heavy hammers lie everywhere.	Keine schweren Hämmer sind hier.No heavy hammers are here.
Akkusativ	Er nimmt die schweren Hämmer.He takes the heavy hammers.	Ich sehe schwere Hämmer im Laden.I see heavy hammers in the store.	Ich mag keine schweren Hämmer.I don't like any heavy hammers.
Dativ	Er arbeitet mit den schweren Hämmern.He works with the heavy hammers.	Ich helfe bei schweren Hämmern.I help with heavy hammers.	Ich arbeite mit keinen schweren Hämmern.I don't work with any heavy hammers.
Genitiv	Die Griffe der schweren Hämmer sind neu.The handles of the heavy hammers are new.	Die Qualität schwerer Hämmer ist wichtig.The quality of heavy hammers is important.	Der Preis keiner schweren Hämmer ist hoch.The price of no heavy hammer is high.

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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 Hammer?

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

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

What does der Hammer mean in English?

The German word der Hammer translates to “hammer” in English.

How do you decline der Hammer?

Like all German nouns, Hammer changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:

Nominativ: der Hammer
Akkusativ: den Hammer
Dativ: dem Hammer
Genitiv: des Hammers

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.