Why does the noun Summe 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 Summe
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Summe | eine Summe | keine Summe |
| Akkusativ | die Summe | eine Summe | keine Summe |
| Dativ | der Summe | einer Summe | keiner Summe |
| Genitiv | der Summe | einer Summe | keiner Summe |
| Nominativ | die Summen | Summen | keine Summen |
| Akkusativ | die Summen | Summen | keine Summen |
| Dativ | den Summe | Summe | keinen Summe |
| Genitiv | der Summen | Summen | keiner Summen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Summe in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die kleine Summe ist genug.The small sum is enough. | Eine große Summe ist wichtig.A large sum is important. | Keine Summe ist hier richtig.No sum is correct here. |
| Akkusativ | Ich brauche die kleine Summe.I need the small sum. | Er zahlt eine große Summe.He pays a large sum. | Wir haben keine Summe.We have no sum. |
| Dativ | Ich rechne mit der kleinen Summe.I calculate with the small sum. | Er hilft mit einer großen Summe.He helps with a large sum. | Ich gebe keiner Summe Bedeutung.I give no sum importance. |
| Genitiv | Die Höhe der kleinen Summe ist bekannt.The amount of the small sum is known. | Die Berechnung einer großen Summe ist schwer.The calculation of a large sum is difficult. | Die Herkunft keiner Summe ist klar.The origin of no sum is clear. |
| Nominativ | Die kleinen Summen sind korrekt.The small sums are correct. | Große Summen sind oft nötig.Large sums are often necessary. | Keine Summen sind hier erlaubt.No sums are allowed here. |
| Akkusativ | Sie addiert die kleinen Summen.She adds the small sums. | Ich sehe verschiedene Summen.I see different sums. | Ich kenne keine Summen.I don't know any sums. |
| Dativ | Ich rechne mit den kleinen Summen.I calculate with the small sums. | Man spricht von vielen Summen.People speak of many sums. | Ich gebe keinen Summen Bedeutung.I give no sums importance. |
| Genitiv | Die Details der kleinen Summen sind wichtig.The details of the small sums are important. | Die Analyse vieler Summen ist komplex.The analysis of many sums is complex. | Die Herkunft keiner Summen ist bekannt.The origin of no sums is known. |
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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 Summe?
It is die Summe. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Summe 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 Summe?
The German noun Summe is categorized as Elementary (A2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Summe?
The plural form of die Summe is die Summen. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Summe mean in English?
The German word die Summe translates to “sum” in English.
How do you decline die Summe?
Like all German nouns, Summe changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Summe
- Akkusativ: die Summe
- Dativ: der Summe
- Genitiv: der Summe
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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