Singular
die
Quelle
source, spring
Plural: die Quellen
Why does the noun Quelle 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 Quelle
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Quelle | eine Quelle | keine Quelle |
| Akkusativ | die Quelle | eine Quelle | keine Quelle |
| Dativ | der Quelle | einer Quelle | keiner Quelle |
| Genitiv | der Quelle | einer Quelle | keiner Quelle |
| Nominativ | die Quellen | Quellen | keine Quellen |
| Akkusativ | die Quellen | Quellen | keine Quellen |
| Dativ | den Quellen | Quellen | keinen Quellen |
| Genitiv | der Quellen | Quellen | keiner Quellen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Quelle in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die neue Quelle ist sauber.The new source is clean. | Eine gute Quelle ist wichtig.A good source is important. | Keine alte Quelle ist hier.No old source is here. |
| Akkusativ | Ich finde die neue Quelle.I find the new source. | Er sucht eine gute Quelle.He is looking for a good source. | Wir haben keine alte Quelle.We have no old source. |
| Dativ | Er trinkt aus der neuen Quelle.He drinks from the new source. | Mit einer guten Quelle ist es besser.It is better with a good source. | Mit keiner alten Quelle geht es.It works with no old source. |
| Genitiv | Die Reinheit der neuen Quelle ist bekannt.The purity of the new source is known. | Die Lage einer guten Quelle ist wichtig.The location of a good source is important. | Der Ursprung keiner alten Quelle ist klar.The origin of no old source is clear. |
| Nominativ | Die vielen Quellen sind bekannt.The many sources are known. | Kleine Quellen sind oft trocken.Small sources are often dry. | Keine sauberen Quellen sind sicher.No clean sources are safe. |
| Akkusativ | Sie besucht die vielen Quellen.She visits the many sources. | Wir brauchen neue Quellen.We need new sources. | Ich sehe keine sauberen Quellen.I see no clean sources. |
| Dativ | Er arbeitet an den vielen Quellen.He works on the many sources. | Mit kleinen Quellen ist es schwierig.It is difficult with small sources. | Er hilft keinen sauberen Quellen.He helps no clean sources. |
| Genitiv | Die Namen der vielen Quellen sind geheim.The names of the many sources are secret. | Die Geschichte kleiner Quellen ist lang.The history of small sources is long. | Die Bedeutung keiner sauberen Quellen ist bekannt.The meaning of no clean sources 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 Quelle?
It is die Quelle. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Quelle 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 Quelle?
The German noun Quelle is categorized as Intermediate (B1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Quelle?
The plural form of die Quelle is die Quellen. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Quelle mean in English?
The German word die Quelle translates to “source, spring” in English.
How do you decline die Quelle?
Like all German nouns, Quelle changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Quelle
- Akkusativ: die Quelle
- Dativ: der Quelle
- Genitiv: der Quelle
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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