Why does the noun Luftwaffe 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 Luftwaffe

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Luftwaffeeine Luftwaffekeine Luftwaffe
Akkusativdie Luftwaffeeine Luftwaffekeine Luftwaffe
Dativder Luftwaffeeiner Luftwaffekeiner Luftwaffe
Genitivder Luftwaffeeiner Luftwaffekeiner Luftwaffe

Examples in context

Real sentences using Luftwaffe in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die Luftwaffe ist stark.The air force is strong.
Eine Luftwaffe ist neu.An air force is new.
Keine Luftwaffe ist hier.No air force is here.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe die Luftwaffe.I see the air force.
Er besucht eine Luftwaffe.He visits an air force.
Ich kenne keine Luftwaffe.I know no air force.
Dativ
Ich helfe der Luftwaffe.I help the air force.
Er dient einer Luftwaffe.He serves an air force.
Ich traue keiner Luftwaffe nicht.I don't trust any air force.
Genitiv
Die Stärke der Luftwaffe ist bekannt.The strength of the air force is known.
Der Name einer Luftwaffe ist geheim.The name of an air force is secret.
Der Ruf keiner Luftwaffe ist gut.The reputation of no air force is good.

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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 Luftwaffe?

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

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

What does die Luftwaffe mean in English?

The German word die Luftwaffe translates to “air force” in English.

How do you decline die Luftwaffe?

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

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.