Why does the noun Sozialarbeiter have the article der?

Nouns formed from verbs with -er ending are mostly masculine. Look at the bolded -er in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

der Lehrer (teacher), der Fahrer (driver), der Arbeiter (worker), der Schreiber (writer), der Spieler (player), der Maler (painter)

Exceptions

das Fenster (window), das Wasser (water), die Butter (butter), die Mutter (mother)

Declension table for German noun Sozialarbeiter

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativder Sozialarbeiterein Sozialarbeiter—
Akkusativden Sozialarbeitereinen Sozialarbeiter—
Dativdem Sozialarbeitereinem Sozialarbeiter—
Genitivdes Sozialarbeiterseines Sozialarbeiters—

Examples in context

Real sentences using Sozialarbeiter 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 Sozialarbeiter?

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

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

What does der Sozialarbeiter mean in English?

The German word der Sozialarbeiter translates to “social worker” in English.

How do you decline der Sozialarbeiter?

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

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.