Singular
die
Spur
track, lane
Plural: die Spuren
Why does the noun Spur have the article die?
Most nouns ending in -ur are feminine.
Examples
die Kultur (culture), die Natur (nature), die Temperatur (temperature), die Figur (figure), die Frisur (hairstyle), die Prozedur (procedure)
Exceptions
das Abitur (graduation exam), das Futur (future tense)
Declension table for German noun Spur
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Spur | eine Spur | keine Spur |
| Akkusativ | die Spur | eine Spur | keine Spur |
| Dativ | der Spur | einer Spur | keiner Spur |
| Genitiv | der Spur | einer Spur | keiner Spur |
| Nominativ | die Spuren | Spuren | keine Spuren |
| Akkusativ | die Spuren | Spuren | keine Spuren |
| Dativ | den Spuren | Spuren | keinen Spuren |
| Genitiv | der Spuren | Spuren | keiner Spuren |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Spur in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die frische Spur führt in den Wald.The fresh track leads into the forest. | Eine heiße Spur ist aufgetaucht.A hot lead has emerged. | Keine einzige Spur war zu sehen.Not a single trace was to be seen. |
| Akkusativ | Er wechselt die linke Spur.He is changing to the left lane. | Die Polizei verfolgt eine neue Spur.The police are following a new lead. | Ich sehe keine einzige Spur von ihm.I see no trace of him. |
| Dativ | Folgen Sie der weißen Spur!Follow the white track! | Er ist einer großen Spur auf der Spur.He is on a big lead. | Wir sind mit keiner einzigen Spur zufrieden.We are not satisfied with a single lead. |
| Genitiv | Das Ende der langen Spur ist nah.The end of the long track is near. | Trotz einer guten Spur fanden sie nichts.Despite a good lead, they found nothing. | Wegen keiner heißen Spur wurde der Fall geschlossen.The case was closed due to no hot lead. |
| Nominativ | Die alten Spuren sind noch sichtbar.The old tracks are still visible. | Tiefe Spuren deuten auf ein Tier hin.Deep tracks indicate an animal. | Keine neuen Spuren wurden gefunden.No new traces were found. |
| Akkusativ | Er hat die deutlichen Spuren hinterlassen.He has left the clear traces. | Wir fanden tiefe Spuren im Schnee.We found deep tracks in the snow. | Der Dieb hinterließ keine brauchbaren Spuren.The thief left no usable traces. |
| Dativ | Der Jäger folgt den frischen Spuren.The hunter follows the fresh tracks. | Er folgte kleinen Spuren im Sand.He followed small tracks in the sand. | Man sollte keinen falschen Spuren folgen.One should not follow any false leads. |
| Genitiv | Die Auswertung der sichergestellten Spuren dauert an.The analysis of the secured traces is ongoing. | Anhand biologischer Spuren wurde er identifiziert.He was identified based on biological traces. | Trotz keiner sichtbaren Spuren gab er nicht auf.Despite no visible traces, he didn't give up. |
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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 Spur?
It is die Spur. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Spur 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 Spur?
The German noun Spur is categorized as Intermediate (B1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Spur?
The plural form of die Spur is die Spuren. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Spur mean in English?
The German word die Spur translates to “track, lane” in English.
How do you decline die Spur?
Like all German nouns, Spur changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Spur
- Akkusativ: die Spur
- Dativ: der Spur
- Genitiv: der Spur
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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