Why does the noun Minderheit have the article die?

Nouns ending in -heit are always feminine. Look at the bolded -heit in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

die Freiheit (freedom), die Schönheit (beauty), die Krankheit (illness), die Wahrheit (truth), die Sicherheit (safety), die Gesundheit (health)

Declension table for German noun Minderheit

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Minderheiteine Minderheitkeine Minderheit
Akkusativdie Minderheiteine Minderheitkeine Minderheit
Dativder Minderheiteiner Minderheitkeiner Minderheit
Genitivder Minderheiteiner Minderheitkeiner Minderheit

Examples in context

Real sentences using Minderheit in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die kleine Minderheit ist wichtig.The small minority is important.
Eine kleine Minderheit lebt hier.A small minority lives here.
Keine kleine Minderheit ist vergessen.No small minority is forgotten.
Akkusativ
Wir schützen die kleine Minderheit.We protect the small minority.
Man sieht eine kleine Minderheit.One sees a small minority.
Ich kenne keine kleine Minderheit.I know no small minority.
Dativ
Ich helfe der kleinen Minderheit.I help the small minority.
Er spricht mit einer kleinen Minderheit.He talks to a small minority.
Sie gehört keiner kleinen Minderheit an.She belongs to no small minority.
Genitiv
Die Stimme der kleinen Minderheit ist laut.The voice of the small minority is loud.
Die Kultur einer kleinen Minderheit ist reich.The culture of a small minority is rich.
Der Wunsch keiner kleinen Minderheit ist bekannt.The wish of no small minority is known.

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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 Minderheit?

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

What CEFR level is the word Minderheit?

The German noun Minderheit is categorized as Upper-Intermediate (B2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of die Minderheit?

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

What does die Minderheit mean in English?

The German word die Minderheit translates to “minority” in English.

How do you decline die Minderheit?

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

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.