Why does the noun Vater have the article der?
Nouns referring to male persons are masculine.
Examples
der Mann (man), der Vater (father), der Bruder (brother), der Sohn (son), der Onkel (uncle), der Neffe (nephew), der Großvater (grandfather)
Declension table for German noun Vater
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Vater | ein Vater | kein Vater |
| Akkusativ | den Vater | einen Vater | keinen Vater |
| Dativ | dem Vater | einem Vater | keinem Vater |
| Genitiv | des Vaters | eines Vaters | keines Vaters |
| Nominativ | die Väter | Väter | keine Väter |
| Akkusativ | die Väter | Väter | keine Väter |
| Dativ | den Vätern | Vätern | keinen Vätern |
| Genitiv | der Väter | Väter | keiner Väter |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Vater in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Der gute Vater kocht.The good father is cooking. | Ein netter Vater spielt.A nice father is playing. | Kein Vater ist perfekt.No father is perfect. |
| Akkusativ | Ich sehe den alten Vater.I see the old father. | Er hat einen lieben Vater.He has a dear father. | Sie hat keinen strengen Vater.She has no strict father. |
| Dativ | Ich helfe dem kranken Vater.I am helping the sick father. | Das Kind dankt einem guten Vater.The child thanks a good father. | Das gehört keinem fremden Vater.That belongs to no strange father. |
| Genitiv | Das Auto des neuen Vaters ist blau.The new father's car is blue. | Das ist das Haus eines reichen Vaters.This is the house of a rich father. | Die Meinung keines wütenden Vaters zählt nicht.The opinion of no angry father counts. |
| Nominativ | Die stolzen Väter lachen.The proud fathers are laughing. | Gute Väter helfen immer.Good fathers always help. | Keine jungen Väter sind hier.No young fathers are here. |
| Akkusativ | Wir besuchen die lieben Väter.We are visiting the dear fathers. | Man trifft hier nette Väter.One meets nice fathers here. | Ich kenne keine anderen Väter.I know no other fathers. |
| Dativ | Wir gratulieren den glücklichen Vätern.We congratulate the happy fathers. | Er spricht mit jungen Vätern.He is speaking with young fathers. | Sie spielt mit keinen anderen Vätern.She plays with no other fathers. |
| Genitiv | Die Rolle der modernen Väter ist wichtig.The role of modern fathers is important. | Die Verantwortung vieler Väter ist groß.The responsibility of many fathers is great. | Die Namen keiner neuen Väter stehen hier.The names of no new fathers are here. |
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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 Vater?
It is der Vater. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Vater 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 Vater?
The German noun Vater is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of der Vater?
The plural form of der Vater is die Väter. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does der Vater mean in English?
The German word der Vater translates to “father” in English.
How do you decline der Vater?
Like all German nouns, Vater changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: der Vater
- Akkusativ: den Vater
- Dativ: dem Vater
- Genitiv: des Vaters
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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