Why does the noun Meister have the article der?

Nouns referring to male persons are masculine.

Examples

der Mann (man), der Vater (father), der Bruder (brother), der Sohn (son), der Onkel (uncle), der Neffe (nephew), der Großvater (grandfather)

Declension table for German noun Meister

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Meisterein Meisterkein Meister
Akkusativden Meistereinen Meisterkeinen Meister
Dativdem Meistereinem Meisterkeinem Meister
Genitivdes Meisterseines Meisterskeines Meisters

Examples in context

Real sentences using Meister in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der alte Meister kommt bald.The old master comes soon.
Ein junger Meister hilft uns.A young master helps us.
Kein Meister ist hier.No master is here.
Akkusativ
Ich kenne den guten Meister.I know the good master.
Wir suchen einen neuen Meister.We are looking for a new master.
Er braucht keinen Meister.He doesn't need a master.
Dativ
Ich spreche mit dem erfahrenen Meister.I speak with the experienced master.
Er lernt bei einem guten Meister.He learns from a good master.
Sie vertraut keinem jungen Meister.She doesn't trust any young master.
Genitiv
Die Arbeit des alten Meisters ist perfekt.The work of the old master is perfect.
Der Rat eines guten Meisters ist wertvoll.The advice of a good master is valuable.
Die Meinung keines jungen Meisters zählt.The opinion of no young master counts.

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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 Meister?

It is der Meister. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Meister is masculine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.

What CEFR level is the word Meister?

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

What is the plural of der Meister?

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

What does der Meister mean in English?

The German word der Meister translates to “master” in English.

How do you decline der Meister?

Like all German nouns, Meister changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
  • Nominativ: der Meister
  • Akkusativ: den Meister
  • Dativ: dem Meister
  • Genitiv: des Meisters

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.