Singular
die
Strafe
punishment
Plural: die Strafen
Why does the noun Strafe 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 Strafe
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Strafe | eine Strafe | keine Strafe |
| Akkusativ | die Strafe | eine Strafe | keine Strafe |
| Dativ | der Strafe | einer Strafe | keiner Strafe |
| Genitiv | der Strafe | einer Strafe | keiner Strafe |
| Nominativ | die Strafen | Strafen | keine Strafen |
| Akkusativ | die Strafen | Strafen | keine Strafen |
| Dativ | den Strafen | Strafen | keinen Strafen |
| Genitiv | der Strafen | Strafen | keiner Strafen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Strafe in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die harte Strafe ist gerecht.The harsh punishment is just. | Eine kleine Strafe ist nötig.A small punishment is necessary. | Keine milde Strafe ist gut.No mild punishment is good. |
| Akkusativ | Ich akzeptiere die gerechte Strafe.I accept the just punishment. | Er bekommt eine kleine Strafe.He gets a small punishment. | Sie will keine harte Strafe.She doesn't want a harsh punishment. |
| Dativ | Er entgeht der harten Strafe.He escapes the harsh punishment. | Sie droht mit einer milden Strafe.She threatens with a mild punishment. | Ich stimme keiner ungerechten Strafe zu.I agree to no unjust punishment. |
| Genitiv | Die Härte der harten Strafe ist bekannt.The harshness of the harsh punishment is known. | Der Grund einer milden Strafe ist klar.The reason for a mild punishment is clear. | Die Wirkung keiner gerechten Strafe ist null.The effect of no just punishment is zero. |
| Nominativ | Die strengen Strafen sind oft ungerecht.The strict punishments are often unjust. | Neue Strafen sind manchmal nötig.New punishments are sometimes necessary. | Keine guten Strafen helfen.No good punishments help. |
| Akkusativ | Wir vermeiden die unnötigen Strafen.We avoid the unnecessary punishments. | Sie verhängen gerechte Strafen.They impose just punishments. | Ich sehe keine neuen Strafen.I see no new punishments. |
| Dativ | Man entgeht den strengen Strafen oft.One often escapes the strict punishments. | Er droht mit neuen Strafen.He threatens with new punishments. | Ich helfe keinen ungerechten Strafen nicht.I don't help any unjust punishments. |
| Genitiv | Die Anzahl der strengen Strafen steigt.The number of the strict punishments is increasing. | Die Wirkung neuer Strafen ist gering.The effect of new punishments is low. | Die Ursache keiner milden Strafen ist unklar.The cause of no mild punishments is unclear. |
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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 Strafe?
It is die Strafe. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Strafe 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 Strafe?
The German noun Strafe is categorized as Intermediate (B1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Strafe?
The plural form of die Strafe is die Strafen. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Strafe mean in English?
The German word die Strafe translates to “punishment” in English.
How do you decline die Strafe?
Like all German nouns, Strafe changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Strafe
- Akkusativ: die Strafe
- Dativ: der Strafe
- Genitiv: der Strafe
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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Strong Standard declension — no extra -(e)n. The 96% majority.
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