Why does the noun Sache 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 Sache

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Sacheeine Sachekeine Sache
Akkusativdie Sacheeine Sachekeine Sache
Dativder Sacheeiner Sachekeiner Sache
Genitivder Sacheeiner Sachekeiner Sache

Examples in context

Real sentences using Sache in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die wichtige Sache ist klar.The important thing is clear.
Eine neue Sache beginnt heute.A new thing begins today.
Keine leichte Sache ist das.That is no easy matter.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe die kleine Sache dort.I see the small thing there.
Ich habe eine wichtige Sache zu tun.I have an important thing to do.
Ich habe keine wichtige Sache.I don't have an important thing.
Dativ
Ich helfe der armen Sache nicht.I don't help the poor thing.
Ich widme mich einer guten Sache.I dedicate myself to a good cause.
Ich widme mich keiner schlechten Sache.I don't dedicate myself to any bad cause.
Genitiv
Der Wert der alten Sache ist hoch.The value of the old thing is high.
Der Wert einer neuen Sache ist unklar.The value of a new thing is unclear.
Der Wert keiner Sache ist bekannt.The value of no thing 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 Sache?

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

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

What does die Sache mean in English?

The German word die Sache translates to “matter, thing” in English.

How do you decline die Sache?

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

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.