Why does the noun Rippe 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 Rippe
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Rippe | eine Rippe | keine Rippe |
| Akkusativ | die Rippe | eine Rippe | keine Rippe |
| Dativ | der Rippe | einer Rippe | keiner Rippe |
| Genitiv | der Rippe | einer Rippe | keiner Rippe |
| Nominativ | die Rippen | Rippen | keine Rippen |
| Akkusativ | die Rippen | Rippen | keine Rippen |
| Dativ | den Rippen | Rippen | keinen Rippen |
| Genitiv | der Rippen | Rippen | keiner Rippen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Rippe in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die lange Rippe ist lang.The long rib is long. | Eine kleine Rippe tut weh.A small rib hurts. | Keine große Rippe fehlt hier.No big rib is missing here. |
| Akkusativ | Ich sehe die kleine Rippe.I see the small rib. | Er hat eine lange Rippe.He has a long rib. | Wir brauchen keine neue Rippe mehr.We don't need any new rib anymore. |
| Dativ | An der kleinen Rippe ist ein Bruch.There is a fracture on the small rib. | Mit einer neuen Rippe kann man atmen.One can breathe with a new rib. | Ich gebe keiner großen Rippe einen Schlag.I don't give any big rib a blow. |
| Genitiv | Die Form der kleinen Rippe ist gebogen.The shape of the small rib is curved. | Der Schmerz einer langen Rippe ist stark.The pain of a long rib is strong. | Die Größe keiner großen Rippe ist wichtig.The size of no big rib is important. |
| Nominativ | Die neuen Rippen sind stabil.The new ribs are stable. | Viele Rippen sind wichtig.Many ribs are important. | Keine alten Rippen sind gesund.No old ribs are healthy. |
| Akkusativ | Sie hat die schönen Rippen.She has the beautiful ribs. | Ich finde viele Rippen dort.I find many ribs there. | Wir sehen keine großen Rippen hier.We don't see any big ribs here. |
| Dativ | An den kleinen Rippen sind Muskeln.There are muscles on the small ribs. | Mit vielen Rippen kann man atmen.One can breathe with many ribs. | An keinen großen Rippen ist Schutz.There is no protection on any big ribs. |
| Genitiv | Die Länge der kleinen Rippen ist unterschiedlich.The length of the small ribs is different. | Der Zustand vieler Rippen ist gut.The condition of many ribs is good. | Die Funktion keiner großen Rippen ist klar.The function of no big ribs is clear. |
GET THE APP
Practice die Rippe in the app
Master die Rippe (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 Rippe?
It is die Rippe. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Rippe 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 Rippe?
The German noun Rippe is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Rippe?
The plural form of die Rippe is die Rippen. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Rippe mean in English?
The German word die Rippe translates to “rib” in English.
How do you decline die Rippe?
Like all German nouns, Rippe changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Rippe
- Akkusativ: die Rippe
- Dativ: der Rippe
- Genitiv: der Rippe
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.
Browse by level
A1 Beginner — most common everyday nouns
Explore →
Browse by topic
Body Parts
Explore →
BROWSE BY GENDER
Feminine nouns
Explore →
Browse by declension
Strong Standard declension — no extra -(e)n. The 96% majority.
Explore →