Why does the noun Materie have the article die?

Nouns ending in -ie are feminine.

Examples

die Philosophie (philosophy), die Biologie (biology), die Demokratie (democracy), die Energie (energy), die Melodie (melody), die Symphonie (symphony)

Declension table for German noun Materie

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Materieeine Materiekeine Materie
Akkusativdie Materieeine Materiekeine Materie
Dativder Materieeiner Materiekeiner Materie
Genitivder Materieeiner Materiekeiner Materie

Examples in context

Real sentences using Materie in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die neue Materie ist wichtig.The new matter is important.
Eine feste Materie existiert.A solid matter exists.
Keine dunkele Materie ist hier.No dark matter is here.
Akkusativ
Wir studieren die neue Materie.We are studying the new matter.
Er erforscht eine feste Materie.He researches a solid matter.
Sie sieht keine dunkele Materie.She sees no dark matter.
Dativ
Er arbeitet an der neuen Materie.He works on the new matter.
Wir sprechen von einer festen Materie.We talk about a solid matter.
Sie forscht an keiner dunklen Materie.She researches no dark matter.
Genitiv
Die Eigenschaften der neuen Materie sind bekannt.The properties of the new matter are known.
Die Dichte einer festen Materie ist hoch.The density of a solid matter is high.
Die Natur keiner dunklen Materie ist rätselhaft.The nature of no dark matter is enigmatic.

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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 Materie?

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

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

What does die Materie mean in English?

The German word die Materie translates to “matter” in English.

How do you decline die Materie?

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

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.