Why does the noun Tee have the article der?
This noun follows no general suffix rule — its gender is part of the core vocabulary you simply learn alongside the word.
Declension table for German noun Tee
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Tee | ein Tee | kein Tee |
| Akkusativ | den Tee | einen Tee | keinen Tee |
| Dativ | dem Tee | einem Tee | keinem Tee |
| Genitiv | des Tees | eines Tees | keines Tees |
| Nominativ | die Tees | Tees | keine Tees |
| Akkusativ | die Tees | Tees | keine Tees |
| Dativ | den Tees | Tees | keinen Tees |
| Genitiv | der Tees | Tees | keiner Tees |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Tee in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Der heiße Tee schmeckt gut.The hot tea tastes good. | Ein heißer Tee ist perfekt.A hot tea is perfect. | Kein heißer Tee ist da.No hot tea is there. |
| Akkusativ | Ich trinke den heißen Tee.I drink the hot tea. | Ich möchte einen heißen Tee.I would like a hot tea. | Ich habe keinen heißen Tee.I have no hot tea. |
| Dativ | Ich sitze bei dem heißen Tee.I am sitting with the hot tea. | Ich sitze bei einem heißen Tee.I am sitting with a hot tea. | Ich sitze bei keinem heißen Tee.I am sitting with no hot tea. |
| Genitiv | Der Duft des heißen Tees ist stark.The scent of the hot tea is strong. | Der Duft eines heißen Tees ist stark.The scent of a hot tea is strong. | Der Duft keines heißen Tees ist stark.The scent of no hot tea is strong. |
| Nominativ | Die heißen Tees sind fertig.The hot teas are ready. | Heiße Tees sind sehr beliebt.Hot teas are very popular. | Keine heißen Tees sind hier.No hot teas are here. |
| Akkusativ | Wir kaufen die heißen Tees.We buy the hot teas. | Wir brauchen heiße Tees.We need hot teas. | Wir haben keine heißen Tees.We have no hot teas. |
| Dativ | Ich gebe den heißen Tees Zucker.I give sugar to the hot teas. | Ich bin mit heißen Tees zufrieden.I am satisfied with hot teas. | Ich bin mit keinen heißen Tees zufrieden.I am satisfied with no hot teas. |
| Genitiv | Die Farbe der heißen Tees ist dunkel.The color of the hot teas is dark. | Die Farbe heißer Tees ist dunkel.The color of hot teas is dark. | Die Farbe keiner heißen Tees ist dunkel.The color of no hot teas is dark. |
GET THE APP
Practice der Tee in the app
Master der Tee (and 5,000+ other German nouns) with quizzes, smart review, and instant grammar tips.
- 5,000+ nouns with translations in 11 languages
- Quizzes by level, category, or your weakest words
- Snap a photo of any German text — extract nouns instantly
Frequently asked questions
Everything you might wonder about der, die, das — and the Der Artikel app.
Is it der, die, or das Tee?
It is der Tee. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Tee is masculine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.
What CEFR level is the word Tee?
The German noun Tee is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of der Tee?
The plural form of der Tee is die Tees. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does der Tee mean in English?
The German word der Tee translates to “tea” in English.
How do you decline der Tee?
Like all German nouns, Tee changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: der Tee
- Akkusativ: den Tee
- Dativ: dem Tee
- Genitiv: des Tees
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.
Browse by level
A1 Beginner — most common everyday nouns
Explore →
Browse by topic
Drinks & Beverages
Explore →
BROWSE BY GENDER
Masculine nouns
Explore →
Browse by declension
Strong Standard declension — no extra -(e)n. The 96% majority.
Explore →