Why does the noun Knappheit have the article die?

Nouns ending in -heit are always feminine. Look at the bolded -heit in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

die Freiheit (freedom), die Schönheit (beauty), die Krankheit (illness), die Wahrheit (truth), die Sicherheit (safety), die Gesundheit (health)

Declension table for German noun Knappheit

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Knappheiteine Knappheitkeine Knappheit
Akkusativdie Knappheiteine Knappheitkeine Knappheit
Dativder Knappheiteiner Knappheitkeiner Knappheit
Genitivder Knappheiteiner Knappheitkeiner Knappheit

Examples in context

Real sentences using Knappheit in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die große Knappheit ist groß.The great scarcity is great.
Eine plötzliche Knappheit ist ein Problem.A sudden scarcity is a problem.
Keine kleine Knappheit ist hier.No small scarcity is here.
Akkusativ
Wir spüren die große Knappheit.We feel the great scarcity.
Ich sehe eine plötzliche Knappheit.I see a sudden scarcity.
Er findet keine kleine Knappheit.He finds no small scarcity.
Dativ
Ich leide unter der großen Knappheit.I suffer from the great scarcity.
Er hilft bei einer plötzlichen Knappheit immer.He always helps with a sudden scarcity.
Mit keiner kleinen Knappheit leben wir.We live with no small scarcity.
Genitiv
Die Ursache der großen Knappheit ist klar.The cause of the great scarcity is clear.
Die Folgen einer plötzlichen Knappheit sind schlimm.The consequences of a sudden scarcity are bad.
Die Angst keiner kleinen Knappheit ist groß.The fear of no small scarcity is great.

GET THE APP

Practice die Knappheit in the app

Master die Knappheit (and 5,000+ other German nouns) with quizzes, smart review, and instant grammar tips.

  • 5,000+ nouns with translations in 11 languages
  • Quizzes by level, category, or your weakest words
  • Snap a photo of any German text — extract nouns instantly
Der Artikel app — quiz screen Der Artikel app — grammar rule tooltip

Frequently asked questions

Everything you might wonder about der, die, das — and the Der Artikel app.

Is it der, die, or das Knappheit?

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

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

What does die Knappheit mean in English?

The German word die Knappheit translates to “scarcity” in English.

How do you decline die Knappheit?

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

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.