Why does the noun Januar have the article der?

Months are masculine.

Examples

der Januar (January), der Februar (February), der März (March), der April (April), der Mai (May), der Juni (June), der Juli (July), der August (August), der September (September), der Oktober (October), der November (November), der Dezember (December)

Declension table for German noun Januar

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Januarein Januarkein Januar
Akkusativden Januareinen Januarkeinen Januar
Dativdem Januareinem Januarkeinem Januar
Genitivdes Januarseines Januarskeines Januars

Examples in context

Real sentences using Januar in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der kalte Januar beginnt bald.The cold January starts soon.
Ein langer Januar ist anstrengend.A long January is exhausting.
Kein Januar ist wie dieser.No January is like this one.
Akkusativ
Ich mag den warmen Januar nicht.I don't like the warm January.
Wir erwarten einen schönen Januar.We expect a beautiful January.
Ich sehe keinen Januar hier.I see no January here.
Dativ
Ich freue mich auf dem Januar.I look forward to January.
Ich spreche über einem Januar.I talk about a January.
Ich gebe keinem Januar eine Chance.I give no January a chance.
Genitiv
Das Ende des Januars ist nah.The end of January is near.
Der Beginn eines Januars ist kalt.The beginning of a January is cold.
Die Kälte keines Januars ist schlimm.The cold of no January is bad.

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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 Januar?

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

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

What is the plural of der Januar?

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

What does der Januar mean in English?

The German word der Januar translates to “January” in English.

How do you decline der Januar?

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

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.