Singular
die
Motivation
motivation
Plural: die Motivationen
Why does the noun Motivation have the article die?
Nouns ending in -ion or -tion are feminine. Look at the bolded -ion in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.
Examples
die Nation (nation), die Situation (situation), die Religion (religion), die Information (information), die Kommunikation (communication), die Tradition (tradition)
Exceptions
der Spion (spy), der Skorpion (scorpion) - these refer to people/animals
Declension table for German noun Motivation
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Motivation | eine Motivation | keine Motivation |
| Akkusativ | die Motivation | eine Motivation | keine Motivation |
| Dativ | der Motivation | einer Motivation | keiner Motivation |
| Genitiv | der Motivation | einer Motivation | keiner Motivation |
| Nominativ | die Motivationen | Motivationen | keine Motivationen |
| Akkusativ | die Motivationen | Motivationen | keine Motivationen |
| Dativ | den Motivationen | Motivationen | keinen Motivationen |
| Genitiv | der Motivationen | Motivationen | keiner Motivationen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Motivation in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die hoche Motivation ist {adj2}{adjEnd2}.The high motivation is important. | Eine Motivation fehlt oft.A motivation is often missing. | Keine Motivation ist {adj2}{adjEnd2}.No motivation is bad. |
| Akkusativ | Ich spüre die hohe Motivation.I feel the high motivation. | Ich brauche eine Motivation.I need a motivation. | Ich habe keine Motivation.I have no motivation. |
| Dativ | Ich arbeite an der hohen Motivation.I am working on the high motivation. | Ich gebe einer Motivation Raum.I give space to a motivation. | Ich helfe keiner Motivation.I help no motivation. |
| Genitiv | Die Quelle der hochen Motivation ist {adj2}{adjEnd2}.The source of the high motivation is clear. | Die Stärke einer Motivation ist {adj2}{adjEnd2}.The strength of a motivation is important. | Der Grund keiner Motivation ist {adj2}{adjEnd2}.The reason for no motivation is known. |
| Nominativ | Die starken Motivationen sind {adj2}{adjEnd2}.The strong motivations are good. | Motivationen sind oft {adj2}{adjEnd2}.Motivations are often personal. | Keine Motivationen sind {adj2}{adjEnd2}.No motivations are wrong. |
| Akkusativ | Wir sehen die starken Motivationen.We see the strong motivations. | Wir finden Motivationen überall.We find motivations everywhere. | Ich finde keine Motivationen.I find no motivations. |
| Dativ | Ich bin zufrieden mit den starken Motivationen.I am satisfied with the strong motivations. | Ich arbeite an Motivationen gern.I like to work on motivations. | Ich helfe keinen Motivationen.I help no motivations. |
| Genitiv | Die Wirkung der starken Motivationen ist {adj2}{adjEnd2}.The effect of the strong motivations is great. | Die Art Motivationen ist {adj2}{adjEnd2}.The type of motivations is diverse. | Der Wert keiner Motivationen ist {adj2}{adjEnd2}.The value of no motivations is low. |
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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 Motivation?
It is die Motivation. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Motivation 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 Motivation?
The German noun Motivation is categorized as Upper-Intermediate (B2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Motivation?
The plural form of die Motivation is die Motivationen. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Motivation mean in English?
The German word die Motivation translates to “motivation” in English.
How do you decline die Motivation?
Like all German nouns, Motivation changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Motivation
- Akkusativ: die Motivation
- Dativ: der Motivation
- Genitiv: der Motivation
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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Strong Standard declension — no extra -(e)n. The 96% majority.
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