Why does the noun Nachmittag 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 Nachmittag

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Nachmittagein Nachmittagkein Nachmittag
Akkusativden Nachmittageinen Nachmittagkeinen Nachmittag
Dativdem Nachmittageinem Nachmittagkeinem Nachmittag
Genitivdes Nachmittagseines Nachmittagskeines Nachmittags

Examples in context

Real sentences using Nachmittag in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der schöne Nachmittag beginnt jetzt.The beautiful afternoon begins now.
Ein langer Nachmittag wartet auf uns.A long afternoon awaits us.
Kein freier Nachmittag ist möglich.No free afternoon is possible.
Akkusativ
Ich genieße den schönen Nachmittag.I enjoy the beautiful afternoon.
Wir planen einen langen Nachmittag.We are planning a long afternoon.
Er hat keinen freien Nachmittag.He has no free afternoon.
Dativ
Wir treffen uns an dem schönen Nachmittag.We meet on the beautiful afternoon.
Sie arbeitet an einem langen Nachmittag.She works on a long afternoon.
Er kommt nach keinem freien Nachmittag.He comes after no free afternoon.
Genitiv
Das Ende des schönen Nachmittags naht.The end of the beautiful afternoon is near.
Die Ruhe eines langen Nachmittags ist gut.The calm of a long afternoon is good.
Die Zeit keines freien Nachmittags ist da.The time of no free afternoon is here.

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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 Nachmittag?

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

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

What is the plural of der Nachmittag?

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

What does der Nachmittag mean in English?

The German word der Nachmittag translates to “afternoon” in English.

How do you decline der Nachmittag?

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

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.