Why does the noun Nichte have the article die?

Nouns referring to female persons are feminine.

Examples

die Frau (woman), die Mutter (mother), die Schwester (sister), die Tochter (daughter), die Tante (aunt), die Nichte (niece), die Großmutter (grandmother)

Exceptions

das Mädchen (girl), das Fräulein (Miss) - due to diminutive -chen/-lein

Declension table for German noun Nichte

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Nichteeine Nichtekeine Nichte
Akkusativdie Nichteeine Nichtekeine Nichte
Dativder Nichteeiner Nichtekeiner Nichte
Genitivder Nichteeiner Nichtekeiner Nichte

Examples in context

Real sentences using Nichte in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die junge Nichte singt schön.The young niece sings beautifully.
Eine junge Nichte tanzt gern.A young niece likes to dance.
Keine junge Nichte ist hier.No young niece is here.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe die junge Nichte oft.I often see the young niece.
Er kennt eine junge Nichte.He knows a young niece.
Sie hat keine junge Nichte.She has no young niece.
Dativ
Ich helfe der jungen Nichte gern.I like to help the young niece.
Sie spricht mit einer jungen Nichte.She talks with a young niece.
Er gibt keiner jungen Nichte Geld.He gives no young niece money.
Genitiv
Das ist die Puppe der jungen Nichte.That is the doll of the young niece.
Das ist das Buch einer jungen Nichte.That is the book of a young niece.
Ich kenne die Stimme keiner jungen Nichte.I don't know the voice of any young niece.

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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 Nichte?

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

What is the plural of die Nichte?

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

What does die Nichte mean in English?

The German word die Nichte translates to “niece” in English.

How do you decline die Nichte?

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

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.