Why does the noun Sammler have the article der?

Nouns formed from verbs with -er ending are mostly masculine. Look at the bolded -er in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

der Lehrer (teacher), der Fahrer (driver), der Arbeiter (worker), der Schreiber (writer), der Spieler (player), der Maler (painter)

Exceptions

das Fenster (window), das Wasser (water), die Butter (butter), die Mutter (mother)

Declension table for German noun Sammler

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Sammlerein Sammlerkein Sammler
Akkusativden Sammlereinen Sammlerkeinen Sammler
Dativdem Sammlereinem Sammlerkeinem Sammler
Genitivdes Sammlerseines Sammlerskeines Sammlers

Examples in context

Real sentences using Sammler in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der alte Sammler ist glücklich.The old collector is happy.
Ein neuer Sammler beginnt heute.A new collector starts today.
Kein Sammler ist perfekt.No collector is perfect.
Akkusativ
Ich kenne den berühmten Sammler.I know the famous collector.
Sie sucht einen guten Sammler.She looks for a good collector.
Ich sehe keinen Sammler.I see no collector.
Dativ
Ich helfe dem alten Sammler.I help the old collector.
Er spricht mit einem jungen Sammler.He talks to a young collector.
Ich gebe keinem Sammler etwas.I give nothing to no collector.
Genitiv
Das Buch des Sammlers ist alt.The book of the collector is old.
Die Sammlung eines Sammlers ist groß.The collection of a collector is large.
Der Wert keines Sammlers ist gering.The value of no collector is small.

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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 Sammler?

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

What is the plural of der Sammler?

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

What does der Sammler mean in English?

The German word der Sammler translates to “collector” in English.

How do you decline der Sammler?

Like all German nouns, Sammler changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
  • Nominativ: der Sammler
  • Akkusativ: den Sammler
  • Dativ: dem Sammler
  • Genitiv: des Sammlers

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.