Why does the noun Reaktion have the article die?

Nouns ending in -ion or -tion are feminine. Look at the bolded -ion in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

die Nation (nation), die Situation (situation), die Religion (religion), die Information (information), die Kommunikation (communication), die Tradition (tradition)

Exceptions

der Spion (spy), der Skorpion (scorpion) - these refer to people/animals

Declension table for German noun Reaktion

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Reaktioneine Reaktionkeine Reaktion
Akkusativdie Reaktioneine Reaktionkeine Reaktion
Dativder Reaktioneiner Reaktionkeiner Reaktion
Genitivder Reaktioneiner Reaktionkeiner Reaktion

Examples in context

Real sentences using Reaktion in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die schnelle Reaktion war entscheidend.The quick reaction was crucial.
Eine allergische Reaktion trat plötzlich auf.An allergic reaction occurred suddenly.
Keine sofortige Reaktion erfolgte darauf.No immediate reaction followed.
Akkusativ
Ich verstehe die heftige Reaktion nicht.I don't understand the strong reaction.
Er zeigte eine überraschende Reaktion.He showed a surprising reaction.
Wir erwarten keine negative Reaktion.We expect no negative reaction.
Dativ
Er begegnete der Kritik mit der ruhigen Reaktion.He met the criticism with a calm reaction.
Nach einer kurzen Reaktion schwieg sie.After a short reaction, she fell silent.
Mit keiner einzigen Reaktion rechnete er.He didn't count on a single reaction.
Genitiv
Die Ursache der allergischen Reaktion ist unklar.The cause of the allergic reaction is unclear.
Trotz einer starken Reaktion blieb er ruhig.Despite a strong reaction, he remained calm.
Aufgrund keiner sichtbaren Reaktion wurde weitergemacht.Due to no visible reaction, they continued.

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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 Reaktion?

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

The German noun Reaktion is categorized as Upper-Intermediate (B2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of die Reaktion?

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

What does die Reaktion mean in English?

The German word die Reaktion translates to “reaction” in English.

How do you decline die Reaktion?

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

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.