Why does the noun Offenheit have the article die?

Nouns ending in -heit are always feminine. Look at the bolded -heit in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

die Freiheit (freedom), die Schönheit (beauty), die Krankheit (illness), die Wahrheit (truth), die Sicherheit (safety), die Gesundheit (health)

Declension table for German noun Offenheit

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Offenheiteine Offenheitkeine Offenheit
Akkusativdie Offenheiteine Offenheitkeine Offenheit
Dativder Offenheiteiner Offenheitkeiner Offenheit
Genitivder Offenheiteiner Offenheitkeiner Offenheit

Examples in context

Real sentences using Offenheit in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die große Offenheit ist gut.The great openness is good.
Eine neue Offenheit ist nötig.A new openness is necessary.
Keine falsche Offenheit hilft.No false openness helps.
Akkusativ
Ich schätze die große Offenheit sehr.I highly value the great openness.
Wir suchen eine neue Offenheit immer.We are always looking for a new openness.
Er zeigt keine falsche Offenheit mehr.He no longer shows any false openness.
Dativ
Ich vertraue der großen Offenheit gern.I like to trust the great openness.
Sie begegnet einer neuen Offenheit oft.She often encounters a new openness.
Er glaubt keiner falschen Offenheit nie.He never believes any false openness.
Genitiv
Der Wert der großen Offenheit ist klar.The value of the great openness is clear.
Die Bedeutung einer neuen Offenheit wächst.The importance of a new openness is growing.
Die Wirkung keiner falschen Offenheit ist gut.The effect of no false openness is good.

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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 Offenheit?

It is die Offenheit. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Offenheit 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 Offenheit?

The noun Offenheit is typically used in the singular form (Singularetantum) or has a plural form identical to the singular.

What does die Offenheit mean in English?

The German word die Offenheit translates to “openness, frankness” in English.

How do you decline die Offenheit?

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

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.