Singular
der
Organismus
organism
Plural: die Organismen
Why does the noun Organismus have the article der?
Nouns ending in -ismus (mostly abstract concepts) are always masculine. Look at the bolded -ismus in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.
Examples
der Kapitalismus (capitalism), der Kommunismus (communism), der Terrorismus (terrorism), der Tourismus (tourism), der Alkoholismus (alcoholism), der Optimismus (optimism)
Declension table for German noun Organismus
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Organismus | ein Organismus | kein Organismus |
| Akkusativ | den Organismus | einen Organismus | keinen Organismus |
| Dativ | dem Organismus | einem Organismus | keinem Organismus |
| Genitiv | des Organismus | eines Organismus | keines Organismus |
| Nominativ | die Organismen | Organismen | keine Organismen |
| Akkusativ | die Organismen | Organismen | keine Organismen |
| Dativ | den Organismen | Organismen | keinen Organismen |
| Genitiv | der Organismen | Organismen | keiner Organismen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Organismus in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Der kleine Organismus lebt hier.The small organism lives here. | Ein kleiner Organismus ist sichtbar.A small organism is visible. | Kein kleiner Organismus überlebt dort.No small organism survives there. |
| Akkusativ | Ich sehe den kleinen Organismus.I see the small organism. | Wir finden einen kleinen Organismus.We find a small organism. | Sie haben keinen kleinen Organismus.They don't have a small organism. |
| Dativ | Ich helfe dem kleinen Organismus.I help the small organism. | Er gibt einem kleinen Organismus Nahrung.He gives a small organism food. | Sie vertrauen keinem kleinen Organismus.They don't trust any small organism. |
| Genitiv | Die Größe des kleinen Organismus ist erstaunlich.The size of the small organism is astonishing. | Die Zelle eines kleinen Organismus ist komplex.The cell of a small organism is complex. | Die Funktion keines kleinen Organismus ist bekannt.The function of no small organism is known. |
| Nominativ | Die kleinen Organismen sind wichtig.The small organisms are important. | Kleine Organismen leben überall.Small organisms live everywhere. | Keine kleinen Organismen sind gefährlich.No small organisms are dangerous. |
| Akkusativ | Wir beobachten die kleinen Organismen.We observe the small organisms. | Manche sehen kleine Organismen.Some see small organisms. | Ich kenne keine kleinen Organismen.I don't know any small organisms. |
| Dativ | Biologen forschen an den kleinen Organismen.Biologists do research on the small organisms. | Er arbeitet an kleinen Organismen.He works on small organisms. | Medikamente schaden keinen kleinen Organismen.Medications harm no small organisms. |
| Genitiv | Die Arten der kleinen Organismen sind viele.The types of the small organisms are many. | Die Entwicklung kleiner Organismen ist schnell.The development of small organisms is fast. | Die Herkunft keiner kleinen Organismen ist klar.The origin of no small organisms 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 Organismus?
It is der Organismus. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Organismus 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 Organismus?
The German noun Organismus is categorized as Upper-Intermediate (B2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of der Organismus?
The plural form of der Organismus is die Organismen. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does der Organismus mean in English?
The German word der Organismus translates to “organism” in English.
How do you decline der Organismus?
Like all German nouns, Organismus changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: der Organismus
- Akkusativ: den Organismus
- Dativ: dem Organismus
- Genitiv: des Organismus
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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