Singular
die
Operation
operation
Plural: die Operationen
Why does the noun Operation 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 Operation
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Operation | eine Operation | keine Operation |
| Akkusativ | die Operation | eine Operation | keine Operation |
| Dativ | der Operation | einer Operation | keiner Operation |
| Genitiv | der Operation | einer Operation | keiner Operation |
| Nominativ | die Operationen | Operationen | keine Operationen |
| Akkusativ | die Operationen | Operationen | keine Operationen |
| Dativ | den Operationen | Operationen | keinen Operationen |
| Genitiv | der Operationen | Operationen | keiner Operationen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Operation in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die erste Operation war erfolgreich.The first operation was successful. | Eine große Operation ist oft riskant.A major operation is often risky. | Keine neue Operation ist heute geplant.No new operation is planned today. |
| Akkusativ | Der Arzt plant die nächste Operation.The doctor plans the next operation. | Wir brauchen eine dringende Operation schnell.We need an urgent operation quickly. | Er will keine weitere Operation haben.He doesn't want to have any further operation. |
| Dativ | Er bereitet sich auf der schwierige Operation vor.He prepares for the difficult operation. | Sie hilft bei einer kleinen Operation.She helps with a minor operation. | Er ist vor keiner neue Operation.He is not against any new operation. |
| Genitiv | Der Erfolg der letzten Operation ist wichtig.The success of the last operation is important. | Die Kosten einer großen Operation sind hoch.The costs of a major operation are high. | Die Dauer keiner neun Operation ist bekannt.The duration of no new operation is known. |
| Nominativ | Die letzten Operationen sind komplex.The last operations are complex. | Schwierige Operationen erfordern viel Planung.Difficult operations require a lot of planning. | Keine weiteren Operationen sind notwendig.No further operations are necessary. |
| Akkusativ | Sie führen die geplanten Operationen durch.They carry out the planned operations. | Wir sehen viele Operationen im Krankenhaus.We see many operations in the hospital. | Ich sehe keine neuen Operationen dort.I see no new operations there. |
| Dativ | Sie sprechen von den letzten Operationen.They talk about the last operations. | Er arbeitet an vielen Operationen.He works on many operations. | Sie ist mit keinen einfachen Operationen zufrieden.She is not satisfied with any simple operations. |
| Genitiv | Die Risiken der geplanten Operationen sind hoch.The risks of the planned operations are high. | Die Ergebnisse vieler Operationen sind gut.The results of many operations are good. | Der Zweck keiner einfachen Operationen ist klar.The purpose of no simple operations is clear. |
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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 Operation?
It is die Operation. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Operation 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 Operation?
The German noun Operation is categorized as Elementary (A2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Operation?
The plural form of die Operation is die Operationen. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Operation mean in English?
The German word die Operation translates to “operation” in English.
How do you decline die Operation?
Like all German nouns, Operation changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Operation
- Akkusativ: die Operation
- Dativ: der Operation
- Genitiv: der Operation
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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