Singular
die
Schwester
sister
Plural: die Schwestern
Why does the noun Schwester have the article die?
Nouns referring to female persons are feminine.
Examples
die Frau (woman), die Mutter (mother), die Schwester (sister), die Tochter (daughter), die Tante (aunt), die Nichte (niece), die Großmutter (grandmother)
Exceptions
das Mädchen (girl), das Fräulein (Miss) - due to diminutive -chen/-lein
Declension table for German noun Schwester
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Schwester | eine Schwester | keine Schwester |
| Akkusativ | die Schwester | eine Schwester | keine Schwester |
| Dativ | der Schwester | einer Schwester | keiner Schwester |
| Genitiv | der Schwester | einer Schwester | keiner Schwester |
| Nominativ | die Schwestern | Schwestern | keine Schwestern |
| Akkusativ | die Schwestern | Schwestern | keine Schwestern |
| Dativ | den Schwestern | Schwestern | keinen Schwestern |
| Genitiv | der Schwestern | Schwestern | keiner Schwestern |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Schwester in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die nette Schwester ist hier.The nice sister is here. | Eine Schwester wohnt in Berlin.A sister lives in Berlin. | Keine Schwester hat heute Zeit.No sister has time today. |
| Akkusativ | Ich sehe die alte Schwester.I see the old sister. | Er hat eine nette Schwester.He has a nice sister. | Sie braucht keine Schwester.She doesn't need a sister. |
| Dativ | Ich helfe der jungen Schwester.I am helping the young sister. | Das Buch gehört einer Schwester.The book belongs to a sister. | Er spricht mit keiner Schwester.He is not speaking with any sister. |
| Genitiv | Das ist das Auto der Schwester.That is the sister's car. | Die Tasche einer Schwester ist hier.A sister's bag is here. | Der Name keiner Schwester ist bekannt.No sister's name is known. |
| Nominativ | Die Schwestern kommen später.The sisters are coming later. | Junge Schwestern spielen draußen.Young sisters are playing outside. | Keine Schwestern sind zu Hause.No sisters are at home. |
| Akkusativ | Wir besuchen die Schwestern.We are visiting the sisters. | Ich kenne gute Schwestern.I know good sisters. | Er mag keine Schwestern.He doesn't like sisters. |
| Dativ | Sie gibt den Schwestern Geld.She gives the sisters money. | Wir spielen mit netten Schwestern.We are playing with nice sisters. | Das gefällt keinen Schwestern.No sisters like that. |
| Genitiv | Das Haus der Schwestern ist groß.The sisters' house is big. | Die Meinung vieler Schwestern zählt.The opinion of many sisters counts. | Die Hilfe keiner Schwestern war nötig.The help of no sisters was necessary. |
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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 Schwester?
It is die Schwester. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Schwester is feminine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.
What CEFR level is the word Schwester?
The German noun Schwester is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Schwester?
The plural form of die Schwester is die Schwestern. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Schwester mean in English?
The German word die Schwester translates to “sister” in English.
How do you decline die Schwester?
Like all German nouns, Schwester changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Schwester
- Akkusativ: die Schwester
- Dativ: der Schwester
- Genitiv: der Schwester
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.
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