Why does the noun Kuh have the article die?
Nouns specifically referring to female animals are feminine.
Examples
die Henne (hen), die Kuh (cow), die Stute (mare), die Sau (sow), die Kätzin (female cat), die Ziege (female goat)
Declension table for German noun Kuh
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Kuh | eine Kuh | keine Kuh |
| Akkusativ | die Kuh | eine Kuh | keine Kuh |
| Dativ | der Kuh | einer Kuh | keiner Kuh |
| Genitiv | der Kuh | einer Kuh | keiner Kuh |
| Nominativ | die Kühe | Kühe | keine Kühe |
| Akkusativ | die Kühe | Kühe | keine Kühe |
| Dativ | den Kühen | Kühen | keinen Kühen |
| Genitiv | der Kühe | Kühe | keiner Kühe |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Kuh in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die braune Kuh frisst Gras.The brown cow eats grass. | Eine große Kuh steht dort.A big cow stands there. | Keine kleine Kuh ist hier.No small cow is here. |
| Akkusativ | Ich melke die schwarze Kuh.I milk the black cow. | Er füttert eine weiße Kuh.He feeds a white cow. | Ich sehe keine braune Kuh auf dem Feld.I see no brown cow in the field. |
| Dativ | Er gibt der alten Kuh Futter.He gives the old cow food. | Ich helfe einer jungen Kuh beim Kalben.I help a young cow with calving. | Er spricht mit keiner kranken Kuh.He speaks with no sick cow. |
| Genitiv | Die Milch der kranken Kuh ist frisch.The milk of the sick cow is fresh. | Der Wert einer gesunden Kuh ist hoch.The value of a healthy cow is high. | Die Farbe keiner alten Kuh ist unbekannt.The color of no old cow is unknown. |
| Nominativ | Die alten Kühe geben Milch.The old cows give milk. | Neue Kühe grasen auf der Wiese.New cows graze in the meadow. | Keine jungen Kühe sind im Stall.No young cows are in the stable. |
| Akkusativ | Wir treiben die großen Kühe heim.We drive the big cows home. | Sie zählt kleine Kühe.She counts small cows. | Ich habe keine alten Kühe auf der Weide.I have no old cows in the pasture. |
| Dativ | Sie gibt den braunen Kühen Wasser.She gives the brown cows water. | Ich helfe weißen Kühen auf der Weide.I help white cows in the pasture. | Er spricht mit keinen schwarzen Kühen.He speaks with no black cows. |
| Genitiv | Die Hörner der großen Kühe sind lang.The horns of the big cows are long. | Der Preis kleiner Kühe ist fair.The price of small cows is fair. | Die Anzahl keiner neuen Kühe ist gering.The number of no new cows is low. |
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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 Kuh?
It is die Kuh. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Kuh 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 Kuh?
The German noun Kuh is categorized as Elementary (A2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Kuh?
The plural form of die Kuh is die Kühe. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Kuh mean in English?
The German word die Kuh translates to “cow” in English.
How do you decline die Kuh?
Like all German nouns, Kuh changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Kuh
- Akkusativ: die Kuh
- Dativ: der Kuh
- Genitiv: der Kuh
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.
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