Why does the noun Morgen have the article der?

Most times of day are masculine.

Examples

der Morgen (morning), der Vormittag (late morning), der Mittag (noon), der Nachmittag (afternoon), der Abend (evening)

Exceptions

die Nacht (night), die Mitternacht (midnight)

Declension table for German noun Morgen

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Morgenein Morgenkein Morgen
Akkusativden Morgeneinen Morgenkeinen Morgen
Dativdem Morgeneinem Morgenkeinem Morgen
Genitivdes Morgenseines Morgenskeines Morgens

Examples in context

Real sentences using Morgen in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der schöne Morgen beginnt.The beautiful morning begins.
Es ist ein neuer Morgen.It is a new morning.
Das ist kein guter Morgen.This is not a good morning.
Akkusativ
Ich wünsche dir den guten Morgen.I wish you the good morning.
Wir hatten einen schönen Morgen.We had a beautiful morning.
Ich hatte keinen guten Morgen.I did not have a good morning.
Dativ
An dem kalten Morgen trinke ich Tee.On the cold morning I drink tea.
Nach einem guten Morgen fühle ich mich gut.After a good morning I feel good.
Vor keinem schweren Morgen habe ich keine Angst.I am not afraid of any difficult morning.
Genitiv
Das Licht des neuen Morgens ist schön.The light of the new morning is beautiful.
Am Ende eines langen Morgens bin ich müde.At the end of a long morning I am tired.
Trotz keines schlechten Morgens bin ich froh.Despite no bad morning, I am happy.

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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 Morgen?

It is der Morgen. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Morgen 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 Morgen?

The German noun Morgen is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of der Morgen?

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

What does der Morgen mean in English?

The German word der Morgen translates to “morning” in English.

How do you decline der Morgen?

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

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.