Why does the noun Sympathie have the article die?

Nouns ending in -ie are feminine.

Examples

die Philosophie (philosophy), die Biologie (biology), die Demokratie (democracy), die Energie (energy), die Melodie (melody), die Symphonie (symphony)

Declension table for German noun Sympathie

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Sympathieeine Sympathiekeine Sympathie
Akkusativdie Sympathieeine Sympathiekeine Sympathie
Dativder Sympathieeiner Sympathiekeiner Sympathie
Genitivder Sympathieeiner Sympathiekeiner Sympathie

Examples in context

Real sentences using Sympathie in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die neue Sympathie ist groß.The new sympathy is great.
Eine starke Sympathie hilft immer.A strong sympathy always helps.
Keine falsche Sympathie ist gut.No false sympathy is good.
Akkusativ
Ich zeige die wahre Sympathie.I show the true sympathy.
Er hat eine tiefe Sympathie.He has a deep sympathy.
Sie hat keine echte Sympathie.She has no real sympathy.
Dativ
Mit der großen Sympathie helfe ich.With the great sympathy, I help.
Er spricht mit einer wahren Sympathie.He speaks with true sympathy.
Ohne keiner echten Sympathie geht es nicht.Without real sympathy, it doesn't work.
Genitiv
Die Kraft der großen Sympathie ist groß.The power of the great sympathy is great.
Der Wert einer wahren Sympathie ist hoch.The value of true sympathy is high.
Die Folge keiner echten Sympathie ist schlecht.The consequence of no sympathy is bad.

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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 Sympathie?

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

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

What does die Sympathie mean in English?

The German word die Sympathie translates to “sympathy” in English.

How do you decline die Sympathie?

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

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.