Schaufel

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

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

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

Q: What does die Schaufel mean in English?

The German word die Schaufel translates to “shovel” in English.

Q: How do you decline die Schaufel?

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

shovel

Plural: die Schaufeln

Strong

Why does the noun Schaufel have the article die?

This noun follows no general suffix rule — its gender is part of the core vocabulary you simply learn alongside the word.

Declension table for German noun Schaufel

How it changes across the four cases.

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

Examples in context

Real sentences using Schaufel in different cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	Die neue Schaufel ist scharf.The new shovel is sharp.	Eine große Schaufel liegt im Sand.A large shovel lies in the sand.	Keine kleine Schaufel ist hier.No small shovel is here.
Akkusativ	Ich brauche die neue Schaufel.I need the new shovel.	Er sucht eine kleine Schaufel.He is looking for a small shovel.	Wir haben keine große Schaufel.We have no large shovel.
Dativ	Ich arbeite mit der neuen Schaufel.I work with the new shovel.	Er hilft mit einer kleinen Schaufel.He helps with a small shovel.	Er arbeitet mit keiner alten Schaufel.He works with no old shovel.
Genitiv	Der Griff der neuen Schaufel ist lang.The handle of the new shovel is long.	Die Farbe einer alten Schaufel ist blau.The color of an old shovel is blue.	Der Stiel keiner langen Schaufel ist kurz.The handle of no long shovel is short.
Nominativ	Die alten Schaufeln sind rostig.The old shovels are rusty.	Schöne Schaufeln liegen im Keller.Beautiful shovels are in the basement.	Keine guten Schaufeln sind billig.No good shovels are cheap.
Akkusativ	Sie kauft die alten Schaufeln.She buys the old shovels.	Ich sehe viele Schaufeln dort.I see many shovels there.	Er findet keine guten Schaufeln.He finds no good shovels.
Dativ	Ich arbeite mit den alten Schaufeln.I work with the old shovels.	Ich arbeite mit schönen Schaufeln.I work with beautiful shovels.	Er arbeitet mit keinen guten Schaufeln.He works with no good shovels.
Genitiv	Die Qualität der neuen Schaufeln ist gut.The quality of the new shovels is good.	Der Wert vieler Schaufeln ist gering.The value of many shovels is low.	Die Farbe keiner schönen Schaufeln ist hässlich.The color of no beautiful shovels is ugly.

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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 Schaufel?

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

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

What does die Schaufel mean in English?

The German word die Schaufel translates to “shovel” in English.

How do you decline die Schaufel?

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

Nominativ: die Schaufel
Akkusativ: die Schaufel
Dativ: der Schaufel
Genitiv: der Schaufel

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.