Why does the noun Mayonnaise 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 Mayonnaise

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Mayonnaiseeine Mayonnaisekeine Mayonnaise
Akkusativdie Mayonnaiseeine Mayonnaisekeine Mayonnaise
Dativder Mayonnaiseeiner Mayonnaisekeiner Mayonnaise
Genitivder Mayonnaiseeiner Mayonnaisekeiner Mayonnaise

Examples in context

Real sentences using Mayonnaise in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die frische Mayonnaise ist lecker.The fresh mayonnaise is tasty.
Eine gute Mayonnaise passt gut.A good mayonnaise fits well.
Keine Mayonnaise ist hier.No mayonnaise is here.
Akkusativ
Ich mag die cremige Mayonnaise.I like the creamy mayonnaise.
Wir brauchen eine kleine Mayonnaise.We need a small mayonnaise.
Ich habe keine Mayonnaise.I have no mayonnaise.
Dativ
Ich gebe der Mayonnaise etwas Salz.I give the mayonnaise some salt.
Mit einer guten Mayonnaise schmeckt es.It tastes good with a good mayonnaise.
Mit keiner Mayonnaise schmeckt es.It doesn't taste good with any mayonnaise.
Genitiv
Der Geschmack der Mayonnaise ist mild.The taste of the mayonnaise is mild.
Der Preis einer Mayonnaise ist hoch.The price of a mayonnaise is high.
Die Qualität keiner Mayonnaise ist gut.The quality of no mayonnaise 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 Mayonnaise?

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

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

What does die Mayonnaise mean in English?

The German word die Mayonnaise translates to “mayonnaise” in English.

How do you decline die Mayonnaise?

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

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.