Why does the noun Verbrechen have the article das?

All nouns with diminutive -chen ending are neuter. Look at the bolded -chen in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

das Mädchen (girl), das Brötchen (bread roll), das Häuschen (little house), das Kätzchen (kitten), das Hündchen (puppy), das Büchlein (booklet)

Exceptions

No exceptions - this rule is absolute

Declension table for German noun Verbrechen

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdas Verbrechenein Verbrechenkein Verbrechen
Akkusativdas Verbrechenein Verbrechenkein Verbrechen
Dativdem Verbrecheneinem Verbrechenkeinem Verbrechen
Genitivdes Verbrechenseines Verbrechenskeines Verbrechens

Examples in context

Real sentences using Verbrechen in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Das Verbrechen ist schlimm.The crime is bad.
Ein Verbrechen geschah.A crime happened.
Kein Verbrechen bleibt ungesehen.No crime remains unseen.
Akkusativ
Er begeht das Verbrechen.He commits the crime.
Er begeht ein Verbrechen.He commits a crime.
Er begeht kein Verbrechen.He commits no crime.
Dativ
Er entgeht dem Verbrechen.He escapes the crime.
Er entgeht einem Verbrechen.He escapes a crime.
Er entgeht keinem Verbrechen.He escapes no crime.
Genitiv
Der Ort des Verbrechens ist bekannt.The location of the crime is known.
Der Ort eines Verbrechens ist geheim.The location of a crime is secret.
Der Ort keines Verbrechens ist sicher.The location of no crime is safe.

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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 Verbrechen?

It is das Verbrechen. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Verbrechen is neuter. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.

What CEFR level is the word Verbrechen?

The German noun Verbrechen is categorized as Intermediate (B1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of das Verbrechen?

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

What does das Verbrechen mean in English?

The German word das Verbrechen translates to “crime” in English.

How do you decline das Verbrechen?

Like all German nouns, Verbrechen changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
  • Nominativ: das Verbrechen
  • Akkusativ: das Verbrechen
  • Dativ: dem Verbrechen
  • Genitiv: des Verbrechens

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.