Why does the noun Onkel have the article der?
Nouns referring to male persons are masculine.
Examples
der Mann (man), der Vater (father), der Bruder (brother), der Sohn (son), der Onkel (uncle), der Neffe (nephew), der Großvater (grandfather)
Declension table for German noun Onkel
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Onkel | ein Onkel | kein Onkel |
| Akkusativ | den Onkel | einen Onkel | keinen Onkel |
| Dativ | dem Onkel | einem Onkel | keinem Onkel |
| Genitiv | des Onkels | eines Onkels | keines Onkels |
| Nominativ | die Onkel | Onkel | keine Onkel |
| Akkusativ | die Onkel | Onkel | keine Onkel |
| Dativ | den Onkeln | Onkeln | keinen Onkeln |
| Genitiv | der Onkel | Onkel | keiner Onkel |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Onkel in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Der alte Onkel kommt heute.The old uncle is coming today. | Ein netter Onkel ist hier.A nice uncle is here. | Kein böser Onkel ist dabei.No evil uncle is included. |
| Akkusativ | Ich besuche den alten Onkel.I visit the old uncle. | Sie trifft einen netten Onkel.She meets a nice uncle. | Er kennt keinen bösen Onkel.He knows no evil uncle. |
| Dativ | Ich spreche mit dem alten Onkel.I speak with the old uncle. | Sie hilft einem netten Onkel.She helps a nice uncle. | Er vertraut keinem bösen Onkel.He trusts no evil uncle. |
| Genitiv | Das Haus des alten Onkels ist groß.The house of the old uncle is big. | Der Hund eines netten Onkels ist klein.The dog of a nice uncle is small. | Die Meinung keines bösen Onkels zählt.The opinion of no evil uncle counts. |
| Nominativ | Die alten Onkel sind lustig.The old uncles are funny. | Nette Onkel besuchen uns.Nice uncles visit us. | Keine bösen Onkel kommen.No evil uncles are coming. |
| Akkusativ | Wir sehen die alten Onkel.We see the old uncles. | Ich mag nette Onkel.I like nice uncles. | Sie trifft keine bösen Onkel.She meets no evil uncles. |
| Dativ | Wir erzählen den alten Onkeln Geschichten.We tell the old uncles stories. | Ich gebe netten Onkeln Geschenke.I give nice uncles gifts. | Sie glaubt keinen bösen Onkeln.She believes no evil uncles. |
| Genitiv | Die Autos der alten Onkel sind schnell.The cars of the old uncles are fast. | Die Kinder netter Onkel spielen hier.The children of nice uncles play here. | Die Geschichten keiner bösen Onkel sind wahr.The stories of no evil uncles are true. |
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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 Onkel?
It is der Onkel. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Onkel 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 Onkel?
The German noun Onkel is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of der Onkel?
The plural form of der Onkel is die Onkel. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does der Onkel mean in English?
The German word der Onkel translates to “uncle” in English.
How do you decline der Onkel?
Like all German nouns, Onkel changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: der Onkel
- Akkusativ: den Onkel
- Dativ: dem Onkel
- Genitiv: des Onkels
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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