Why does the noun Ostsee have the article die?

About 90% of nouns ending in -e are feminine.

Examples

die Lampe (lamp), die Schule (school), die Tasche (bag), die Klasse (class), die Straße (street), die Sonne (sun), die Blume (flower)

Exceptions

der Junge (boy), der Löwe (lion), der Affe (monkey), der Name (name), der Käse (cheese), das Ende (end), das Auge (eye)

Declension table for German noun Ostsee

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Ostseeeine Ostseekeine Ostsee
Akkusativdie Ostseeeine Ostseekeine Ostsee
Dativder Ostseeeiner Ostseekeiner Ostsee
Genitivder Ostseeeiner Ostseekeiner Ostsee

Examples in context

Real sentences using Ostsee in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die blaue Ostsee ist kalt.The blue Baltic Sea is cold.
Eine schöne Ostsee lockt Touristen.A beautiful Baltic Sea attracts tourists.
Keine tiefe Ostsee ist hier.No deep Baltic Sea is here.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe die weite Ostsee.I see the wide Baltic Sea.
Wir besuchen eine ruhige Ostsee.We visit a calm Baltic Sea.
Er mag keine kalte Ostsee.He doesn't like a cold Baltic Sea.
Dativ
Ich schwimme in der kalten Ostsee.I swim in the cold Baltic Sea.
Er träumt von einer weiten Ostsee.He dreams of a wide Baltic Sea.
Sie fährt zu keiner tiefen Ostsee.She drives to no deep Baltic Sea.
Genitiv
Die Farbe der blauen Ostsee ist schön.The color of the blue Baltic Sea is beautiful.
Der Wind einer stürmischen Ostsee weht.The wind of a stormy Baltic Sea blows.
Die Küste keiner ruhigen Ostsee ist bekannt.The coast of no calm Baltic Sea is known.

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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 Ostsee?

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

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

What does die Ostsee mean in English?

The German word die Ostsee translates to “Baltic Sea” in English.

How do you decline die Ostsee?

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

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.