Why does the noun Herr have the article der?

Nouns referring to male persons are masculine.

Examples

der Mann (man), der Vater (father), der Bruder (brother), der Sohn (son), der Onkel (uncle), der Neffe (nephew), der Großvater (grandfather)

Declension table for German noun Herr

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Herrein Herrkein Herr
Akkusativden Herrneinen Herrnkeinen Herrn
Dativdem Herrneinem Herrnkeinem Herrn
Genitivdes Herrneines Herrnkeines Herrn

Examples in context

Real sentences using Herr in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der nette Herr kommt heute.The nice gentleman is coming today.
Das ist ein alter Herr.That is an old gentleman.
Das ist kein böser Herr.That is no mean gentleman.
Akkusativ
Ich rufe den alten Herrn.I am calling the old gentleman.
Er sucht einen guten Herrn.He is looking for a good gentleman.
Ich kenne keinen anderen Herrn.I know no other gentleman.
Dativ
Ich helfe dem alten Herrn.I help the old gentleman.
Er gibt einem jungen Herrn ein Buch.He gives a book to a young gentleman.
Ich antworte keinem bestimmten Herrn.I answer no specific gentleman.
Genitiv
Das Auto des reichen Herrn ist rot.The car of the rich gentleman is red.
Die Stimme eines jungen Herrn ist laut.The voice of a young gentleman is loud.
Das ist das Kind keines fremden Herrn.That is the child of no foreign gentleman.

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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 Herr?

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

What CEFR level is the word Herr?

The German noun Herr is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of der Herr?

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

What does der Herr mean in English?

The German word der Herr translates to “man, Mr.” in English.

How do you decline der Herr?

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

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.