Singular

der

Schiefer

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

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

Q: What is the plural of der Schiefer?

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

Q: What does der Schiefer mean in English?

The German word der Schiefer translates to “slate” in English.

Q: How do you decline der Schiefer?

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

slate

Plural: die Schiefer

Strong

Why does the noun Schiefer 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)

View all words for this rule

Declension table for German noun Schiefer

How it changes across the four cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	der Schiefer	ein Schiefer	kein Schiefer
Akkusativ	den Schiefer	einen Schiefer	keinen Schiefer
Dativ	dem Schiefer	einem Schiefer	keinem Schiefer
Genitiv	des Schiefers	eines Schiefers	keines Schiefers
Nominativ	die Schiefer	Schiefer	keine Schiefer
Akkusativ	die Schiefer	Schiefer	keine Schiefer
Dativ	den Schiefern	Schiefern	keinen Schiefern
Genitiv	der Schiefer	Schiefer	keiner Schiefer

Examples in context

Real sentences using Schiefer in different cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	Der schwarze Schiefer ist dünn.The black slate is thin.	Ein glatter Schiefer liegt hier.A smooth slate lies here.	Kein alter Schiefer ist perfekt.No old slate is perfect.
Akkusativ	Ich sehe den schwarzen Schiefer.I see the black slate.	Er kauft einen glatten Schiefer.He buys a smooth slate.	Wir brauchen keinen alten Schiefer.We don't need old slate.
Dativ	Ich arbeite mit dem schwarzen Schiefer.I work with the black slate.	Sie sitzt auf einem glatten Schiefer.She sits on a smooth slate.	Ich vertraue keinem alten Schiefer.I don't trust old slate.
Genitiv	Die Farbe des schwarzen Schiefers ist schön.The color of the black slate is beautiful.	Der Wert eines glatten Schiefers ist hoch.The value of a smooth slate is high.	Ich mag die Form keines alten Schiefers.I don't like the shape of any old slate.
Nominativ	Die neuen Schiefer sind teuer.The new slates are expensive.	Große Schiefer kommen an.Large slates arrive.	Keine kleinen Schiefer passen.No small slates fit.
Akkusativ	Sie mag die neuen Schiefer.She likes the new slates.	Ich finde große Schiefer.I find large slates.	Er hat keine kleinen Schiefer.He has no small slates.
Dativ	Ich spreche mit den neuen Schiefern.I speak with the new slates.	Er arbeitet an großen Schiefern.He works on large slates.	Sie hilft keinen kleinen Schiefern.She doesn't help any small slates.
Genitiv	Die Qualität der neuen Schiefer ist gut.The quality of the new slates is good.	Der Glanz großer Schiefer ist schön.The shine of large slates is beautiful.	Die Härte keiner kleinen Schiefer ist bekannt.The hardness of no small slates 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 Schiefer?

It is der Schiefer. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Schiefer 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 Schiefer?

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

What does der Schiefer mean in English?

The German word der Schiefer translates to “slate” in English.

How do you decline der Schiefer?

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

Nominativ: der Schiefer
Akkusativ: den Schiefer
Dativ: dem Schiefer
Genitiv: des Schiefers

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.