Singular

das

Schweigen

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

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

Q: What is the plural of das Schweigen?

The noun Schweigen is typically used in the singular form (Singularetantum) or has a plural form identical to the singular.

Q: What does das Schweigen mean in English?

The German word das Schweigen translates to “silence” in English.

Q: How do you decline das Schweigen?

Like all German nouns, Schweigen changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are: Nominativ: das Schweigen Akkusativ: das Schweigen Dativ: dem Schweigen Genitiv: des Schweigens 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.

silence

Strong

Why does the noun Schweigen have the article das?

Nominalized infinitives (verbs used as nouns) are always neuter.

Examples

das Essen (eating/food), das Trinken (drinking), das Lesen (reading), das Schreiben (writing), das Leben (life), das Schwimmen (swimming)

Exceptions

No exceptions when truly nominalized

View all words for this rule

Declension table for German noun Schweigen

How it changes across the four cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	das Schweigen	ein Schweigen	kein Schweigen
Akkusativ	das Schweigen	ein Schweigen	kein Schweigen
Dativ	dem Schweigen	einem Schweigen	keinem Schweigen
Genitiv	des Schweigens	eines Schweigens	keines Schweigens

Examples in context

Real sentences using Schweigen in different cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	Das betonte Schweigen war sehr laut.The deliberate silence was very loud.	Plötzlich herrschte ein tiefes Schweigen.Suddenly there was a deep silence.	Kein Schweigen ist die Antwort.No silence is the answer.
Akkusativ	Er brach das peinliche Schweigen.He broke the awkward silence.	Wir bemerkten ein plötzliches Schweigen.We noticed a sudden silence.	Ich ertrage kein langes Schweigen mehr.I can't stand any more long silence.
Dativ	Nach dem langen Schweigen sprach sie.After the long silence, she spoke.	Wir saßen in einem tiefen Schweigen.We sat in a deep silence.	Mit keinem beharrlichen Schweigen löst man Probleme.One solves no problems with persistent silence.
Genitiv	Die Bedeutung des eisigen Schweigens war klar.The meaning of the icy silence was clear.	Trotz eines langen Schweigens verstanden sie sich.Despite a long silence, they understood each other.	Wegen keines peinlichen Schweigens war die Stimmung gut.Because of no awkward silence, the atmosphere was good.

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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 Schweigen?

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

What is the plural of das Schweigen?

The noun Schweigen is typically used in the singular form (Singularetantum) or has a plural form identical to the singular.

What does das Schweigen mean in English?

The German word das Schweigen translates to “silence” in English.

How do you decline das Schweigen?

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

Nominativ: das Schweigen
Akkusativ: das Schweigen
Dativ: dem Schweigen
Genitiv: des Schweigens

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.