Why does the noun Kirsche have the article die?

Many fruit names are feminine.

Examples

die Birne (pear), die Kirsche (cherry), die Pflaume (plum), die Erdbeere (strawberry), die Himbeere (raspberry), die Traube (grape), die Orange (orange)

Exceptions

der Apfel (apple), der Pfirsich (peach)

Declension table for German noun Kirsche

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Kirscheeine Kirschekeine Kirsche
Akkusativdie Kirscheeine Kirschekeine Kirsche
Dativder Kirscheeiner Kirschekeiner Kirsche
Genitivder Kirscheeiner Kirschekeiner Kirsche

Examples in context

Real sentences using Kirsche in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die rote Kirsche ist reif.The red cherry is ripe.
Eine frische Kirsche schmeckt süß.A fresh cherry tastes sweet.
Keine große Kirsche ist hier.No big cherry is here.
Akkusativ
Ich esse die süße Kirsche gern.I like to eat the sweet cherry.
Er kauft eine große Kirsche am Markt.He buys a big cherry at the market.
Wir sehen keine frische Kirsche im Korb.We don't see any fresh cherry in the basket.
Dativ
Ich gebe der kleinen Kirsche Wasser.I give water to the small cherry.
Ich helfe einer jungen Kirsche zu wachsen.I help a young cherry to grow.
Ich gebe keiner kranken Kirsche Dünger.I don't give fertilizer to any sick cherry.
Genitiv
Der Geschmack der reifen Kirsche ist gut.The taste of the ripe cherry is good.
Der Geschmack einer frischen Kirsche ist süß.The taste of a fresh cherry is sweet.
Der Geschmack keiner faulen Kirsche ist gut.The taste of no rotten cherry is good.

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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 Kirsche?

It is die Kirsche. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Kirsche 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 Kirsche?

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

What is the plural of die Kirsche?

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

What does die Kirsche mean in English?

The German word die Kirsche translates to “cherry” in English.

How do you decline die Kirsche?

Like all German nouns, Kirsche changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
  • Nominativ: die Kirsche
  • Akkusativ: die Kirsche
  • Dativ: der Kirsche
  • Genitiv: der Kirsche

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.