Singular

der

Schmerz

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

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

Q: What CEFR level is the word Schmerz?

The German noun Schmerz is categorized as Elementary (A2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

Q: What is the plural of der Schmerz?

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

Q: What does der Schmerz mean in English?

The German word der Schmerz translates to “pain, grief” in English.

Q: How do you decline der Schmerz?

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

pain, grief

Plural: die Schmerzen

Strong

Why does the noun Schmerz have the article der?

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 Schmerz

How it changes across the four cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	der Schmerz	ein Schmerz	kein Schmerz
Akkusativ	den Schmerz	einen Schmerz	keinen Schmerz
Dativ	dem Schmerz	einem Schmerz	keinem Schmerz
Genitiv	des Schmerzes	eines Schmerzes	keines Schmerzes
Nominativ	die Schmerzen	Schmerzen	keine Schmerzen
Akkusativ	die Schmerzen	Schmerzen	keine Schmerzen
Dativ	den Schmerzen	Schmerzen	keinen Schmerzen
Genitiv	der Schmerzen	Schmerzen	keiner Schmerzen

Examples in context

Real sentences using Schmerz in different cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	Der Schmerz ist sehr stark.The pain is very strong.	Ein Schmerz beginnt plötzlich.A pain begins suddenly.	Kein Schmerz hält ewig an.No pain lasts forever.
Akkusativ	Ich spüre den Schmerz deutlich.I feel the pain clearly.	Er hat einen tiefen Schmerz.He has a deep pain.	Ich fühle keinen Schmerz mehr.I feel no pain anymore.
Dativ	Ich leide unter dem Schmerz.I suffer from the pain.	Er hilft einem kranken Schmerz.He helps a sick pain.	Man gibt keinem Schmerz nach.One doesn't give in to any pain.
Genitiv	Die Ursache des starken Schmerzes ist unklar.The cause of the severe pain is unclear.	Die Stärke eines plötzlichen Schmerzes ist spürbar.The intensity of a sudden pain is noticeable.	Die Ursache keines leichten Schmerzes ist bekannt.The cause of no mild pain is known.
Nominativ	Die Schmerzen sind unerträglich.The pains are unbearable.	Starke Schmerzen plagen ihn.Strong pains torment him.	Keine Schmerzen sind sichtbar.No pains are visible.
Akkusativ	Man lindert die Schmerzen oft.One often alleviates the pains.	Sie erträgt viele Schmerzen tapfer.She bravely endures many pains.	Ich sehe keine Schmerzen bei ihm.I see no pains in him.
Dativ	Er begegnet den Schmerzen mutig.He faces the pains bravely.	Sie hilft vielen Schmerzen gleichzeitig.She helps many pains simultaneously.	Ich gebe keinen Schmerzen Raum.I give no pains space.
Genitiv	Die Linderung der Schmerzen ist wichtig.The alleviation of the pains is important.	Die Geschichte vieler Schmerzen ist lang.The history of many pains is long.	Die Quelle keiner Schmerzen ist klar.The source of no pains is clear.

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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 Schmerz?

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

What CEFR level is the word Schmerz?

The German noun Schmerz is categorized as Elementary (A2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of der Schmerz?

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

What does der Schmerz mean in English?

The German word der Schmerz translates to “pain, grief” in English.

How do you decline der Schmerz?

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

Nominativ: der Schmerz
Akkusativ: den Schmerz
Dativ: dem Schmerz
Genitiv: des Schmerzes

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.

Schmerz

Why does the noun Schmerz have the article der?

Practice der Schmerz in the app

Is it der, die, or das Schmerz?

What CEFR level is the word Schmerz?

What is the plural of der Schmerz?

What does der Schmerz mean in English?

How do you decline der Schmerz?

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