Why does the noun Kiste have the article die?

About 90% of nouns ending in -e are feminine.

Examples

die Lampe (lamp), die Schule (school), die Tasche (bag), die Klasse (class), die Straße (street), die Sonne (sun), die Blume (flower)

Exceptions

der Junge (boy), der Löwe (lion), der Affe (monkey), der Name (name), der Käse (cheese), das Ende (end), das Auge (eye)

Declension table for German noun Kiste

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Kisteeine Kistekeine Kiste
Akkusativdie Kisteeine Kistekeine Kiste
Dativder Kisteeiner Kistekeiner Kiste
Genitivder Kisteeiner Kistekeiner Kiste

Examples in context

Real sentences using Kiste in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die große Kiste steht dort.The big box stands there.
Eine alte Kiste ist leer.An old box is empty.
Keine neue Kiste passt hier.No new box fits here.
Akkusativ
Ich trage die schwere Kiste.I carry the heavy box.
Wir brauchen eine große Kiste.We need a big box.
Er findet keine leere Kiste.He finds no empty box.
Dativ
Ich lege es in der großen Kiste.I put it in the big box.
Er sitzt auf einer kleinen Kiste.He sits on a small box.
Sie findet nichts in keiner leeren Kiste.She finds nothing in no empty box.
Genitiv
Der Inhalt der großen Kiste ist geheim.The content of the big box is secret.
Die Farbe einer alten Kiste ist braun.The color of an old box is brown.
Der Deckel keiner neuen Kiste fehlt.The lid of no new 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 Kiste?

It is die Kiste. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Kiste is feminine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.

What is the plural of die Kiste?

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

What does die Kiste mean in English?

The German word die Kiste translates to “box, crate” in English.

How do you decline die Kiste?

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

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.