Why does the noun Schwiegersohn have the article der?

Nouns referring to male persons are masculine.

Examples

der Mann (man), der Vater (father), der Bruder (brother), der Sohn (son), der Onkel (uncle), der Neffe (nephew), der Großvater (grandfather)

Declension table for German noun Schwiegersohn

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Schwiegersohnein Schwiegersohnkein Schwiegersohn
Akkusativden Schwiegersohneinen Schwiegersohnkeinen Schwiegersohn
Dativdem Schwiegersohneinem Schwiegersohnkeinem Schwiegersohn
Genitivdes Schwiegersohnseines Schwiegersohnskeines Schwiegersohns

Examples in context

Real sentences using Schwiegersohn in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Der neue Schwiegersohn ist nett.The new son-in-law is nice.
Ein netter Schwiegersohn kommt heute.A nice son-in-law is coming today.
Kein Schwiegersohn ist hier.No son-in-law is here.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe den neuen Schwiegersohn.I see the new son-in-law.
Sie sucht einen guten Schwiegersohn.She is looking for a good son-in-law.
Er hat keinen Schwiegersohn.He has no son-in-law.
Dativ
Ich spreche mit dem alten Schwiegersohn.I speak with the old son-in-law.
Sie hilft einem jungen Schwiegersohn.She helps a young son-in-law.
Er gibt keinem Schwiegersohn Geld.He gives no son-in-law money.
Genitiv
Das ist das Auto des neuen Schwiegersohns.That is the car of the new son-in-law.
Das ist das Haus eines guten Schwiegersohns.That is the house of a good son-in-law.
Ich kenne die Frau keines Schwiegersohns.I know the wife of no son-in-law.

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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 Schwiegersohn?

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

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

What does der Schwiegersohn mean in English?

The German word der Schwiegersohn translates to “son-in-law” in English.

How do you decline der Schwiegersohn?

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

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.