Why does the noun Karton have the article der?

This noun follows no general suffix rule — its gender is part of the core vocabulary you simply learn alongside the word.

Declension table for German noun Karton

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Kartonein Kartonkein Karton
Akkusativden Kartoneinen Kartonkeinen Karton
Dativdem Kartoneinem Kartonkeinem Karton
Genitivdes Kartonseines Kartonskeines Kartons

Examples in context

Real sentences using Karton in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der leere Karton ist leicht.The empty box is light.
Ein leerer Karton steht dort.An empty box is standing there.
Kein leerer Karton ist hier.No empty box is here.
Akkusativ
Ich trage den leeren Karton.I carry the empty box.
Ich brauche einen leeren Karton.I need an empty box.
Ich habe keinen leeren Karton.I have no empty box.
Dativ
Ich spiele mit dem leeren Karton.I play with the empty box.
Ich spiele mit einem leeren Karton.I play with an empty box.
Ich spiele mit keinem leeren Karton.I play with no empty box.
Genitiv
Der Inhalt des leeren Kartons fehlt.The content of the empty box is missing.
Der Inhalt eines leeren Kartons fehlt.The content of an empty box is missing.
Der Inhalt keines leeren Kartons fehlt.The content of no empty box is missing.

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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 Karton?

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

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

What does der Karton mean in English?

The German word der Karton translates to “carton/cardboard” in English.

How do you decline der Karton?

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

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.