Why does the noun Schiene 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 Schiene

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Schieneeine Schienekeine Schiene
Akkusativdie Schieneeine Schienekeine Schiene
Dativder Schieneeiner Schienekeiner Schiene
Genitivder Schieneeiner Schienekeiner Schiene

Examples in context

Real sentences using Schiene in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die neue Schiene ist lang.The new rail is long.
Eine alte Schiene liegt hier.An old rail lies here.
Keine kaputte Schiene ist sichtbar.No broken rail is visible.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe die lange Schiene.I see the long rail.
Er braucht eine neue Schiene.He needs a new rail.
Wir haben keine alte Schiene.We have no old rail.
Dativ
Ich fahre auf der alten Schiene.I drive on the old rail.
Er arbeitet an einer neuen Schiene.He works on a new rail.
Ich sitze an keiner kaputten Schiene.I am not sitting by any broken rail.
Genitiv
Die Farbe der alten Schiene ist rot.The color of the old rail is red.
Der Bau einer neuen Schiene ist teuer.The construction of a new rail is expensive.
Die Länge keiner kaputten Schiene ist bekannt.The length of no broken rail 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 Schiene?

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

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

What does die Schiene mean in English?

The German word die Schiene translates to “rail, track” in English.

How do you decline die Schiene?

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

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.