Singular
das
Material
material
Plural: die Materialien
Why does the noun Material have the article das?
This noun follows no general suffix rule — its gender is part of the core vocabulary you simply learn alongside the word.
Declension table for German noun Material
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | das Material | ein Material | kein Material |
| Akkusativ | das Material | ein Material | kein Material |
| Dativ | dem Material | einem Material | keinem Material |
| Genitiv | des Materials | eines Materials | keines Materials |
| Nominativ | die Materialien | Materialien | keine Materialien |
| Akkusativ | die Materialien | Materialien | keine Materialien |
| Dativ | den Materialien | Materialien | keinen Materialien |
| Genitiv | der Materialien | Materialien | keiner Materialien |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Material in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Das richtige Material ist wichtig.The right material is important. | Ein weiches Material fühlt sich gut an.A soft material feels good. | Kein hartes Material ist flexibel.No hard material is flexible. |
| Akkusativ | Ich brauche das spezielle Material.I need the special material. | Er kauft ein leichtes Material.He is buying a light material. | Wir finden kein passendes Material.We can't find a suitable material. |
| Dativ | Mit dem neuen Material geht es besser.It works better with the new material. | Aus einem festen Material baut er das.He builds that from a solid material. | Ich arbeite mit keinem schlechten Material.I work with no bad material. |
| Genitiv | Der Preis des teuren Materials ist hoch.The price of the expensive material is high. | Die Farbe eines natürlichen Materials gefällt mir.I like the color of a natural material. | Trotz keines guten Materials hat er es geschafft.He managed it despite no good material. |
| Nominativ | Die neuen Materialien sind da.The new materials are here. | Alte Materialien werden recycelt.Old materials are recycled. | Keine teuren Materialien sind nötig.No expensive materials are necessary. |
| Akkusativ | Sie bestellt die gleichen Materialien.She is ordering the same materials. | Wir verwenden verschiedene Materialien.We use different materials. | Ich sehe keine besseren Materialien.I don't see any better materials. |
| Dativ | Wir lernen mit den besten Materialien.We learn with the best materials. | Er hilft uns mit nützlichen Materialien.He helps us with useful materials. | Sie kommt mit keinen schweren Materialien.She comes with no heavy materials. |
| Genitiv | Die Liste der benötigten Materialien ist lang.The list of the required materials is long. | Die Herkunft vieler Materialien ist unklar.The origin of many materials is unclear. | Wegen keiner neuen Materialien stoppt die Produktion.Production stops because of no new materials. |
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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 Material?
It is das Material. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Material is neuter. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.
What CEFR level is the word Material?
The German noun Material is categorized as Elementary (A2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of das Material?
The plural form of das Material is die Materialien. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does das Material mean in English?
The German word das Material translates to “material” in English.
How do you decline das Material?
Like all German nouns, Material changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: das Material
- Akkusativ: das Material
- Dativ: dem Material
- Genitiv: des Materials
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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Strong Standard declension — no extra -(e)n. The 96% majority.
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