Singular

das

Laufen

Q: Is it der, die, or das Laufen?

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

Q: What is the plural of das Laufen?

The noun Laufen is typically used in the singular form (Singularetantum) or has a plural form identical to the singular.

Q: What does das Laufen mean in English?

The German word das Laufen translates to “running” in English.

Q: How do you decline das Laufen?

Like all German nouns, Laufen changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are: Nominativ: das Laufen Akkusativ: das Laufen Dativ: dem Laufen Genitiv: des Laufen 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.

running

Plural: die Laufen

Strong

Why does the noun Laufen have the article das?

Nominalized infinitives (verbs used as nouns) are always neuter.

Examples

das Essen (eating/food), das Trinken (drinking), das Lesen (reading), das Schreiben (writing), das Leben (life), das Schwimmen (swimming)

Exceptions

No exceptions when truly nominalized

View all words for this rule

Declension table for German noun Laufen

How it changes across the four cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	das Laufen	ein Laufen	kein Laufen
Akkusativ	das Laufen	ein Laufen	kein Laufen
Dativ	dem Laufen	einem Laufen	keinem Laufen
Genitiv	des Laufen	eines Laufen	keines Laufen
Nominativ	die Laufen	Laufen	keine Laufen
Akkusativ	die Laufen	Laufen	keine Laufen
Dativ	den Laufen	Laufen	keinen Laufen
Genitiv	der Laufen	Laufen	keiner Laufen

Examples in context

Real sentences using Laufen in different cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	Das schnelle Laufen ist gut.Fast running is good.	Ein neues Laufen ist mein Sport.A new running is my sport.	Kein Laufen ist langweilig.No running is boring.
Akkusativ	Ich mag das schnelle Laufen.I like fast running.	Er lernt ein neues Laufen.He is learning a new running.	Wir machen kein Laufen heute.We are not running today.
Dativ	Ich widme mich dem Laufen.I dedicate myself to running.	Er widmet sich einem Laufen.He dedicates himself to a running activity.	Sie gibt keinem Laufen eine Chance.She gives no running activity a chance.
Genitiv	Der Vorteil des Laufens ist klar.The advantage of running is clear.	Der Beginn eines Laufens war schwer.The beginning of a running activity was difficult.	Der Zweck keines Laufens ist bekannt.The purpose of no running activity is known.
Nominativ	Die Laufen sind sehr beliebt.The running activities are very popular.	Viele Laufen sind gesund.Many running activities are healthy.	Keine Laufen sind einfach.No running activities are easy.
Akkusativ	Sie lieben die langen Laufen.They love the long running activities.	Ich sehe viele Laufen dort.I see many running activities there.	Wir machen keine Laufen mehr.We don't do any running activities anymore.
Dativ	Ich helfe den Laufen gern.I like to help with the running activities.	Er widmet sich vielen Laufen.He dedicates himself to many running activities.	Wir geben keinen Laufen Aufmerksamkeit.We give no running activities attention.
Genitiv	Die Regeln der Laufen sind wichtig.The rules of the running activities are important.	Die Ziele vieler Laufen sind ähnlich.The goals of many running activities are similar.	Die Kosten keiner Laufen sind hoch.The costs of no running activities are high.

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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 Laufen?

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

What is the plural of das Laufen?

The noun Laufen is typically used in the singular form (Singularetantum) or has a plural form identical to the singular.

What does das Laufen mean in English?

The German word das Laufen translates to “running” in English.

How do you decline das Laufen?

Like all German nouns, Laufen changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:

Nominativ: das Laufen
Akkusativ: das Laufen
Dativ: dem Laufen
Genitiv: des Laufen

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.