Singular

die

Ratte

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

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

Q: What is the plural of die Ratte?

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

Q: What does die Ratte mean in English?

The German word die Ratte translates to “rat” in English.

Q: How do you decline die Ratte?

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

rat

Plural: die Ratten

Strong

Why does the noun Ratte 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)

View all words for this rule

Declension table for German noun Ratte

How it changes across the four cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	die Ratte	eine Ratte	keine Ratte
Akkusativ	die Ratte	eine Ratte	keine Ratte
Dativ	der Ratte	einer Ratte	keiner Ratte
Genitiv	der Ratte	einer Ratte	keiner Ratte
Nominativ	die Ratten	Ratten	keine Ratten
Akkusativ	die Ratten	Ratten	keine Ratten
Dativ	den Ratten	Ratten	keinen Ratten
Genitiv	der Ratten	Ratten	keiner Ratten

Examples in context

Real sentences using Ratte in different cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	Die kleine Ratte läuft schnell.The small rat runs quickly.	Eine Ratte frisst Käse.A rat eats cheese.	Keine Ratte ist im Haus.No rat is in the house.
Akkusativ	Ich sehe die graue Ratte.I see the grey rat.	Er fängt eine kleine Ratte.He catches a small rat.	Wir haben keine Ratte hier.We have no rat here.
Dativ	Ich gebe der Ratte Futter.I give food to the rat.	Er hilft einer kranken Ratte.He helps a sick rat.	Ich spreche mit keiner Ratte.I speak with no rat.
Genitiv	Das ist der Schwanz der Ratte.That is the tail of the rat.	Das ist das Nest einer Ratte.That is the nest of a rat.	Ich sehe das Haus keiner Ratte.I see the house of no rat.
Nominativ	Die Ratten leben im Keller.The rats live in the cellar.	Junge Ratten sind sehr neugierig.Young rats are very curious.	Keine Ratten sind in der Küche.No rats are in the kitchen.
Akkusativ	Sie mag die weißen Ratten.She likes the white rats.	Ich sehe viele Ratten dort.I see many rats there.	Ich habe keine Ratten im Garten.I have no rats in the garden.
Dativ	Ich helfe den Ratten gern.I like to help the rats.	Er gibt vielen Ratten Wasser.He gives water to many rats.	Ich spiele mit keinen Ratten.I play with no rats.
Genitiv	Die Augen der Ratten sind klein.The eyes of the rats are small.	Das ist der Geruch wilder Ratten.That is the smell of wild rats.	Ich kenne die Farbe keiner Ratten.I know the color of no rats.

GET THE APP

Practice die Ratte in the app

Master die Ratte (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 Ratte?

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

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

What does die Ratte mean in English?

The German word die Ratte translates to “rat” in English.

How do you decline die Ratte?

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

Nominativ: die Ratte
Akkusativ: die Ratte
Dativ: der Ratte
Genitiv: der Ratte

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.