Why does the noun Lehre 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 Lehre

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Lehreeine Lehrekeine Lehre
Akkusativdie Lehreeine Lehrekeine Lehre
Dativder Lehreeiner Lehrekeiner Lehre
Genitivder Lehreeiner Lehrekeiner Lehre

Examples in context

Real sentences using Lehre in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die neue Lehre ist interessant.The new doctrine is interesting.
Eine gute Lehre hilft immer.A good lesson always helps.
Keine alte Lehre ist gültig.No old doctrine is valid.
Akkusativ
Ich verstehe die neue Lehre.I understand the new doctrine.
Er lernt eine wichtige Lehre.He learns an important lesson.
Sie akzeptiert keine wichtige Lehre.She accepts no important doctrine.
Dativ
Ich folge der neuen Lehre.I follow the new doctrine.
Er vertraut einer alten Lehre.He trusts an old doctrine.
Sie widerspricht keiner wichtigen Lehre.She contradicts no important doctrine.
Genitiv
Der Ursprung der neuen Lehre ist unbekannt.The origin of the new doctrine is unknown.
Die Bedeutung einer alten Lehre ist tief.The meaning of an old doctrine is deep.
Der Wert keiner falschen Lehre ist hoch.The value of no false doctrine is 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 Lehre?

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

The German noun Lehre is categorized as Intermediate (B1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of die Lehre?

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

What does die Lehre mean in English?

The German word die Lehre translates to “apprenticeship, lesson, doctrine” in English.

How do you decline die Lehre?

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

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.