Why does the noun Nation 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 Nation
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Nation | eine Nation | keine Nation |
| Akkusativ | die Nation | eine Nation | keine Nation |
| Dativ | der Nation | einer Nation | keiner Nation |
| Genitiv | der Nation | einer Nation | keiner Nation |
| Nominativ | die Nationen | Nationen | keine Nationen |
| Akkusativ | die Nationen | Nationen | keine Nationen |
| Dativ | den Nationen | Nationen | keinen Nationen |
| Genitiv | der Nationen | Nationen | keiner Nationen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Nation in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die starke Nation wächst schnell.The strong nation grows fast. | Eine kleine Nation ist friedlich.A small nation is peaceful. | Keine reiche Nation ist dabei.No rich nation is included. |
| Akkusativ | Ich sehe die starke Nation.I see the strong nation. | Er besucht eine kleine Nation.He visits a small nation. | Wir haben keine reiche Nation.We don't have a rich nation. |
| Dativ | In der starken Nation lebt er.He lives in the strong nation. | Mit einer kleinen Nation spricht er.He speaks with a small nation. | Bei keiner reichen Nation ist es leicht.It is easy with no rich nation. |
| Genitiv | Die Geschichte der starken Nation ist lang.The history of the strong nation is long. | Der Name einer kleinen Nation ist kurz.The name of a small nation is short. | Die Kultur keiner reichen Nation ist bekannt.The culture of no rich nation is known. |
| Nominativ | Die freien Nationen arbeiten zusammen.The free nations work together. | Kleine Nationen sind wichtig.Small nations are important. | Keine großen Nationen sind hier.No large nations are here. |
| Akkusativ | Sie unterstützt die freien Nationen.She supports the free nations. | Ich kenne kleine Nationen.I know small nations. | Wir sehen keine großen Nationen.We don't see any large nations. |
| Dativ | Mit den freien Nationen arbeitet er.He works with the free nations. | Er hilft kleinen Nationen.He helps small nations. | Mit keinen großen Nationen geht es.It works with no large nations. |
| Genitiv | Die Zukunft der freien Nationen ist hell.The future of the free nations is bright. | Die Probleme kleiner Nationen sind komplex.The problems of small nations are complex. | Die Größe keiner großen Nationen ist bekannt.The size of no large nations 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 Nation?
It is die Nation. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Nation 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 Nation?
The German noun Nation is categorized as Intermediate (B1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Nation?
The plural form of die Nation is die Nationen. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Nation mean in English?
The German word die Nation translates to “nation” in English.
How do you decline die Nation?
Like all German nouns, Nation changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Nation
- Akkusativ: die Nation
- Dativ: der Nation
- Genitiv: der Nation
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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