Why does the noun Meter have the article der?
Nouns formed from verbs with -er ending are mostly masculine. Look at the bolded -er in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.
Examples
der Lehrer (teacher), der Fahrer (driver), der Arbeiter (worker), der Schreiber (writer), der Spieler (player), der Maler (painter)
Exceptions
das Fenster (window), das Wasser (water), die Butter (butter), die Mutter (mother)
Declension table for German noun Meter
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Meter | ein Meter | kein Meter |
| Akkusativ | den Meter | einen Meter | keinen Meter |
| Dativ | dem Meter | einem Meter | keinem Meter |
| Genitiv | des Meters | eines Meters | keines Meters |
| Nominativ | die Meter | Meter | keine Meter |
| Akkusativ | die Meter | Meter | keine Meter |
| Dativ | den Metern | Metern | keinen Metern |
| Genitiv | der Meter | Meter | keiner Meter |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Meter in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Der letzte Meter ist der schwerste.The last meter is the hardest. | Ein ganzer Meter Stoff reicht aus.A whole meter of fabric is enough. | Kein einziger Meter war übrig.Not a single meter was left. |
| Akkusativ | Ich laufe den letzten Meter.I am running the last meter. | Er braucht einen langen Meter Seil.He needs a long meter of rope. | Wir haben keinen freien Meter Platz.We have no free meter of space. |
| Dativ | Mit dem gelben Meter misst er.He measures with the yellow meter. | Nach einem weiteren Meter stoppt er.He stops after another meter. | Mit keinem einzigen Meter passt es.It doesn't fit with a single meter. |
| Genitiv | Das Ende des langen Meters ist hier.The end of the long meter is here. | Die Länge eines genormten Meters ist fix.The length of a standard meter is fixed. | Trotz keines genauen Meters passt es.Despite no exact meter, it fits. |
| Nominativ | Die ersten Meter sind einfach.The first meters are easy. | Bunte Meter Stoff liegen hier.Colorful meters of fabric are lying here. | Keine weiteren Meter sind nötig.No further meters are necessary. |
| Akkusativ | Sie misst die genauen Meter.She measures the exact meters. | Wir gehen noch einige Meter.We are walking a few more meters. | Ich sehe keine freien Meter mehr.I don't see any free meters anymore. |
| Dativ | Auf den letzten Metern war es schwer.It was difficult in the last meters. | Von weiten Metern sieht man es.You can see it from many meters away. | Mit keinen wenigen Metern ist es nicht getan.It's not done with just a few meters. |
| Genitiv | Die Summe der gelaufenen Meter ist groß.The sum of the meters run is large. | Anhand gemessener Meter wird es klar.It becomes clear based on measured meters. | Die Farbe keiner gekauften Meter war gleich.The color of none of the purchased meters was the same. |
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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 Meter?
It is der Meter. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Meter 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 Meter?
The German noun Meter is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of der Meter?
The plural form of der Meter is die Meter. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does der Meter mean in English?
The German word der Meter translates to “meter” in English.
How do you decline der Meter?
Like all German nouns, Meter changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: der Meter
- Akkusativ: den Meter
- Dativ: dem Meter
- Genitiv: des Meters
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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