Singular

der

Pate

Q: Is it der, die, or das Pate?

It is der Pate. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Pate is masculine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.

Q: What is the plural of der Pate?

The plural form of der Pate is die Paten. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”

Q: What does der Pate mean in English?

The German word der Pate translates to “godfather” in English.

Q: How do you decline der Pate?

Like all German nouns, Pate changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are: Nominativ: der Pate Akkusativ: den Paten Dativ: dem Paten Genitiv: des Paten 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.

godfather

Plural: die Paten

Weak

Why does the noun Pate 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)

View all words for this rule

Declension table for German noun Pate

How it changes across the four cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	der Pate	ein Pate	kein Pate
Akkusativ	den Paten	einen Paten	keinen Paten
Dativ	dem Paten	einem Paten	keinem Paten
Genitiv	des Paten	der Paten	keines Paten
Nominativ	die Paten	Paten	keine Paten
Akkusativ	die Paten	Paten	keine Paten
Dativ	den Paten	Paten	keinen Paten
Genitiv	der Paten	die Paten	keiner Paten

Examples in context

Real sentences using Pate in different cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	Der nette Pate kommt heute.The nice godfather comes today.	Ein guter Pate ist wichtig.A good godfather is important.	Kein alter Pate ist hier.No old godfather is here.
Akkusativ	Ich sehe den netten Paten.I see the nice godfather.	Ich suche einen guten Paten.I am looking for a good godfather.	Ich habe keinen alten Paten.I have no old godfather.
Dativ	Ich spreche mit dem netten Paten.I speak with the nice godfather.	Ich helfe einem guten Paten.I help a good godfather.	Ich gebe keinem alten Paten ein Buch.I give no old godfather a book.
Genitiv	Das ist das Auto des netten Paten.That is the car of the nice godfather.	Der Name {art2} guten Paten ist wichtig.The name of a good godfather is important.	Ich kenne die Frau keines alten Paten.I don't know the wife of any old godfather.
Nominativ	Die netten Paten sind hier.The nice godfathers are here.	Paten helfen oft Kindern.Godfathers often help children.	Keine alten Paten kommen heute.No old godfathers are coming today.
Akkusativ	Wir besuchen die netten Paten.We visit the nice godfathers.	Ich kenne Paten aus der Stadt.I know godfathers from the city.	Ich sehe keine alten Paten.I see no old godfathers.
Dativ	Ich spreche mit den netten Paten.I speak with the nice godfathers.	Man hilft Paten gern.One likes to help godfathers.	Ich gebe keinen alten Paten Geschenke.I give no old godfathers gifts.
Genitiv	Das ist das Haus der netten Paten.That is the house of the nice godfathers.	Die Hilfe Paten ist wichtig.The help of godfathers is important.	Ich kenne die Namen keiner alten Paten.I don't know the names of any old godfathers.

GET THE APP

Practice der Pate in the app

Master der Pate (and 5,000+ other German nouns) with quizzes, smart review, and instant grammar tips.

5,000+ nouns with translations in 11 languages
Quizzes by level, category, or your weakest words
Snap a photo of any German text — extract nouns instantly

Frequently asked questions

Everything you might wonder about der, die, das — and the Der Artikel app.

Is it der, die, or das Pate?

It is der Pate. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Pate is masculine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.

What is the plural of der Pate?

The plural form of der Pate is die Paten. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”

What does der Pate mean in English?

The German word der Pate translates to “godfather” in English.

How do you decline der Pate?

Like all German nouns, Pate changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:

Nominativ: der Pate
Akkusativ: den Paten
Dativ: dem Paten
Genitiv: des Paten

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.