Singular
die
Polizei
police
Plural: die Polizeien
Why does the noun Polizei have the article die?
Nouns ending in -ei are feminine.
Examples
die Bäckerei (bakery), die Metzgerei (butcher shop), die Bücherei (library), die Datei (file), die Partei (party), die Türkei (Turkey)
Declension table for German noun Polizei
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Polizei | eine Polizei | keine Polizei |
| Akkusativ | die Polizei | eine Polizei | keine Polizei |
| Dativ | der Polizei | einer Polizei | keiner Polizei |
| Genitiv | der Polizei | einer Polizei | keiner Polizei |
| Nominativ | die Polizeien | Polizeien | keine Polizeien |
| Akkusativ | die Polizeien | Polizeien | keine Polizeien |
| Dativ | den Polizeikräften | Polizeien | keinen Polizeien |
| Genitiv | der Polizeien | Polizeien | keiner Polizeien |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Polizei in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die schnelle Polizei ist schon da.The fast police are already here. | Eine aufmerksame Polizei sorgt für Sicherheit.An attentive police force ensures safety. | Keine lokale Polizei war zu sehen.No local police were to be seen. |
| Akkusativ | Ich rufe die örtliche Polizei.I'm calling the local police. | Er braucht eine verständliche Polizei.He needs an understanding police force. | Wir haben keine deutsche Polizei gerufen.We didn't call any German police. |
| Dativ | Er hilft der lokalen Polizei.He helps the local police. | Er vertraut einer guten Polizei.He trusts a good police force. | Das gefällt keiner hiesigen Polizei.No local police force likes that. |
| Genitiv | Das ist die Aufgabe der lokalen Polizei.That is the job of the criminal police. | Die Meinung einer modernen Polizei ist wichtig.The opinion of a modern police force is important. | Trotz keiner anwesenden Polizei war es ruhig.Despite no police being present, it was quiet. |
| Nominativ | Die verschiedenen Polizeien arbeiten zusammen.The different police forces work together. | Freundliche Polizeien gibt es selten.Friendly police forces are rare. | Keine zusätzlichen Polizeien waren vor Ort.No additional police forces were on site. |
| Akkusativ | Man reformiert die lokalen Polizeien.They are reforming the local police forces. | Er kennt viele Polizeien im Land.He knows many police forces in the country. | Ich sehe keine neuen Polizeien auf der Straße.I see no new police forces on the street. |
| Dativ | Er hilft den lokalen Polizeikräften.He helps the local police forces. | Er arbeitet mit verschiedenen Polizeien.He works with different police forces. | Er hat mit keinen ausländischen Polizeien gesprochen.He has not spoken with any foreign police forces. |
| Genitiv | Die Zusammenarbeit der europäischen Polizeien ist gut.The cooperation of the European police forces is good. | Die Aufgaben verschiedener Polizeien überschneiden sich.The tasks of different police forces overlap. | Die Berichte keiner lokalen Polizeien erwähnten das.The reports of no local police forces mentioned that. |
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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 Polizei?
It is die Polizei. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Polizei 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 Polizei?
The German noun Polizei is categorized as Elementary (A2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Polizei?
The plural form of die Polizei is die Polizeien. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Polizei mean in English?
The German word die Polizei translates to “police” in English.
How do you decline die Polizei?
Like all German nouns, Polizei changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Polizei
- Akkusativ: die Polizei
- Dativ: der Polizei
- Genitiv: der Polizei
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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