Singular
die
Institution
institution
Plural: die Institutionen
Why does the noun Institution have the article die?
Nouns ending in -ion or -tion are feminine. Look at the bolded -ion in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.
Examples
die Nation (nation), die Situation (situation), die Religion (religion), die Information (information), die Kommunikation (communication), die Tradition (tradition)
Exceptions
der Spion (spy), der Skorpion (scorpion) - these refer to people/animals
Declension table for German noun Institution
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Institution | eine Institution | keine Institution |
| Akkusativ | die Institution | eine Institution | keine Institution |
| Dativ | der Institution | einer Institution | keiner Institution |
| Genitiv | der Institution | einer Institution | keiner Institution |
| Nominativ | die Institutionen | Institutionen | keine Institutionen |
| Akkusativ | die Institutionen | Institutionen | keine Institutionen |
| Dativ | den Institutionen | Institutionen | keinen Institutionen |
| Genitiv | der Institutionen | Institutionen | keiner Institutionen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Institution in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die große Institution ist wichtig.The large institution is important. | Eine neue Institution hilft oft.A new institution often helps. | Keine kleine Institution ist perfekt.No small institution is perfect. |
| Akkusativ | Ich besuche die bekannte Institution.I visit the known institution. | Wir suchen eine gute Institution.We are looking for a good institution. | Er kennt keine bekannte Institution.He knows no well-known institution. |
| Dativ | Ich helfe der alten Institution.I help the old institution. | Er arbeitet bei einer kleinen Institution.He works at a small institution. | Sie spricht mit keiner bekannten Institution.She speaks with no known institution. |
| Genitiv | Das Dach der großen Institution ist rot.The roof of the large institution is red. | Der Name einer neuen Institution ist lang.The name of a new institution is long. | Die Arbeit keiner kleinen Institution ist schwer.The work of no small institution is difficult. |
| Nominativ | Die bekannten Institutionen sind bekannt.The known institutions are famous. | Gute Institutionen arbeiten gut.Good institutions work well. | Keine alten Institutionen sind hier.No old institutions are here. |
| Akkusativ | Sie sehen die großen Institutionen.They see the large institutions. | Wir brauchen neue Institutionen.We need new institutions. | Ich habe keine interessanten Institutionen.I have no interesting institutions. |
| Dativ | Wir geben den guten Institutionen Geld.We give money to the good institutions. | Man hilft neuen Institutionen gern.One likes to help new institutions. | Ich vertraue keinen wichtigen Institutionen.I trust no important institutions. |
| Genitiv | Die Ziele der vielen Institutionen sind klar.The goals of the many institutions are clear. | Die Regeln guter Institutionen sind streng.The rules of good institutions are strict. | Die Zukunft keiner alten Institutionen ist ungewiss.The future of no old institutions is uncertain. |
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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 Institution?
It is die Institution. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Institution 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 Institution?
The German noun Institution is categorized as Intermediate (B1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Institution?
The plural form of die Institution is die Institutionen. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Institution mean in English?
The German word die Institution translates to “institution” in English.
How do you decline die Institution?
Like all German nouns, Institution changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Institution
- Akkusativ: die Institution
- Dativ: der Institution
- Genitiv: der Institution
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.
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Strong Standard declension — no extra -(e)n. The 96% majority.
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