Why does the noun Silbe 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 Silbe

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Silbeeine Silbe—
Akkusativdie Silbeeine Silbe—
Dativder Silbeeiner Silbe—
Genitivder Silbeeiner Silbe—

Examples in context

Real sentences using Silbe in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
—
Akkusativ
—
Dativ
—
Genitiv
—

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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 Silbe?

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

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

What does die Silbe mean in English?

The German word die Silbe translates to “syllable” in English.

How do you decline die Silbe?

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

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.