Why does the noun Prinz 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)

Declension table for German noun Prinz

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Prinzein Prinzkein Prinz
Akkusativden Prinzeneinen Prinzenkeinen Prinzen
Dativdem Prinzeneinem Prinzenkeinem Prinzen
Genitivdes Prinzeneines Prinzenkeines Prinzen

Examples in context

Real sentences using Prinz in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der junge Prinz lacht laut.The young prince laughs loudly.
Ein kleiner Prinz spielt hier.A small prince plays here.
Kein Prinz ist heute da.No prince is here today.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe den Prinzen dort.I see the prince there.
Sie trifft einen Prinzen bald.She meets a prince soon.
Er kennt keinen Prinzen gut.He doesn't know any prince well.
Dativ
Ich helfe dem Prinzen gern.I like to help the prince.
Sie spricht mit einem Prinzen.She speaks with a prince.
Er gibt keinem Prinzen ein Geschenk.He gives no prince a gift.
Genitiv
Das Pferd des Prinzen ist groß.The prince's horse is big.
Die Krone eines Prinzen ist schön.A prince's crown is beautiful.
Der Name keines Prinzen ist bekannt.The name of no prince 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 Prinz?

It is der Prinz. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Prinz 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 Prinz?

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

What does der Prinz mean in English?

The German word der Prinz translates to “prince” in English.

How do you decline der Prinz?

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

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.