Why does the noun Italiener 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 Italiener

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Italienerein Italienerkein Italiener
Akkusativden Italienereinen Italienerkeinen Italiener
Dativdem Italienereinem Italienerkeinem Italiener
Genitivdes Italienerseines Italienerskeines Italieners

Examples in context

Real sentences using Italiener in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der Italiener ist nett.The Italian is nice.
Ein Italiener kommt heute.An Italian comes today.
Kein Italiener ist hier.No Italian is here.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe den Italiener.I see the Italian.
Sie trifft einen Italiener.She meets an Italian.
Er kennt keinen Italiener.He knows no Italian.
Dativ
Ich helfe dem Italiener.I help the Italian.
Er spricht mit einem Italiener.He speaks with an Italian.
Sie vertraut keinem Italiener.She trusts no Italian.
Genitiv
Das Auto des Italieners ist rot.The car of the Italian is red.
Die Frau eines Italieners ist schön.The wife of an Italian is beautiful.
Die Meinung keines Italieners ist wichtig.The opinion of no Italian is important.

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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 Italiener?

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

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

What does der Italiener mean in English?

The German word der Italiener translates to “Italian” in English.

How do you decline der Italiener?

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

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.