Why does the noun Sperre 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 Sperre

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Sperreeine Sperrekeine Sperre
Akkusativdie Sperreeine Sperrekeine Sperre
Dativder Sperreeiner Sperrekeiner Sperre
Genitivder Sperreeiner Sperrekeiner Sperre

Examples in context

Real sentences using Sperre in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die neue Sperre ist aktiv.The new barrier is active.
Eine nötige Sperre ist oft.A necessary barrier is often.
Keine alte Sperre ist hier.No old barrier is here.
Akkusativ
Ich sehe die neue Sperre.I see the new barrier.
Er hat eine nötige Sperre errichtet.He erected a necessary barrier.
Wir wollen keine alte Sperre.We don't want any old barrier.
Dativ
Ich stehe vor der neuen Sperre.I stand in front of the new barrier.
Er arbeitet an einer nötigen Sperre.He is working on a necessary barrier.
Ich gebe keiner alten Sperre nach.I yield to no old barrier.
Genitiv
Der Grund der neuen Sperre ist klar.The reason for the new barrier is clear.
Der Zweck einer nötigen Sperre ist Sicherheit.The purpose of a necessary barrier is security.
Der Sinn keiner alten Sperre ist ersichtlich.The meaning of no old barrier is apparent.

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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 Sperre?

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

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

What does die Sperre mean in English?

The German word die Sperre translates to “barrier, ban” in English.

How do you decline die Sperre?

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

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.