Why does the noun Pistole 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 Pistole

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Pistoleeine Pistolekeine Pistole
Akkusativdie Pistoleeine Pistolekeine Pistole
Dativder Pistoleeiner Pistolekeiner Pistole
Genitivder Pistoleeiner Pistolekeiner Pistole

Examples in context

Real sentences using Pistole in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die kleine Pistole ist alt.The small pistol is old.
Eine neue Pistole liegt hier.A new pistol is lying here.
Keine Pistole ist sicher.No pistol is safe.
Akkusativ
Er trägt die kleine Pistole.He carries the small pistol.
Ich sehe eine alte Pistole.I see an old pistol.
Ich habe keine Pistole.I have no pistol.
Dativ
Er zielt mit der großen Pistole.He aims with the big pistol.
Ich schieße mit einer neuen Pistole.I shoot with a new pistol.
Ich spiele mit keiner Pistole.I play with no pistol.
Genitiv
Der Lauf der neuen Pistole ist lang.The barrel of the new pistol is long.
Der Griff einer guten Pistole ist bequem.The grip of a good pistol is comfortable.
Die Sicherung keiner Pistole ist kaputt.The safety of no pistol is broken.

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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 Pistole?

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

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

What does die Pistole mean in English?

The German word die Pistole translates to “pistol” in English.

How do you decline die Pistole?

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

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.