Why does the noun Wein have the article der?
Most alcoholic drinks are masculine.
Examples
der Wein (wine), der Schnaps (schnapps), der Whisky (whiskey), der Wodka (vodka), der Gin (gin), der Rum (rum), der Cognac (cognac), der Champagner (champagne), der Likör (liqueur)
Exceptions
das Bier (beer)
Declension table for German noun Wein
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Wein | ein Wein | kein Wein |
| Akkusativ | den Wein | einen Wein | keinen Wein |
| Dativ | dem Wein | einem Wein | keinem Wein |
| Genitiv | des Weines | eines Weines | keines Weines |
| Nominativ | die Weine | Weine | keine Weine |
| Akkusativ | die Weine | Weine | keine Weine |
| Dativ | den Weinen | Weinen | keinen Weinen |
| Genitiv | der Weine | Weine | keiner Weine |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Wein in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Der rote Wein ist gut.The red wine is good. | Ein neuer Wein schmeckt mir.A new wine tastes good to me. | Kein alter Wein ist hier.No old wine is here. |
| Akkusativ | Ich trinke den süßen Wein.I drink the sweet wine. | Er kauft einen guten Wein.He buys a good wine. | Ich habe keinen Wein mehr.I have no more wine. |
| Dativ | Ich gebe dem guten Wein Zeit.I give the good wine time. | Ich bin mit einem guten Wein zufrieden.I am satisfied with a good wine. | Ich bin mit keinem Wein zufrieden.I am satisfied with no wine. |
| Genitiv | Der Preis des roten Weines ist hoch.The price of the red wine is high. | Der Geschmack eines guten Weines ist wichtig.The taste of a good wine is important. | Der Geruch keines Weines gefällt mir.The smell of no wine pleases me. |
| Nominativ | Die guten Weine sind teuer.The good wines are expensive. | Leckere Weine sind beliebt.Delicious wines are popular. | Keine schlechten Weine sind hier.No bad wines are here. |
| Akkusativ | Wir mögen die roten Weine.We like the red wines. | Ich sehe viele Weine dort.I see many wines there. | Sie hat keine Weine gekauft.She bought no wines. |
| Dativ | Ich helfe den guten Weinen.I help the good wines. | Ich bin mit guten Weinen glücklich.I am happy with good wines. | Ich bin mit keinen guten Weinen glücklich.I am happy with no good wines. |
| Genitiv | Die Farbe der roten Weine ist schön.The color of the red wines is beautiful. | Der Geruch guter Weine ist stark.The smell of good wines is strong. | Der Preis keiner Weine ist bekannt.The price of no wines 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 Wein?
It is der Wein. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Wein 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 Wein?
The German noun Wein is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of der Wein?
The plural form of der Wein is die Weine. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does der Wein mean in English?
The German word der Wein translates to “wine” in English.
How do you decline der Wein?
Like all German nouns, Wein changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: der Wein
- Akkusativ: den Wein
- Dativ: dem Wein
- Genitiv: des Weines
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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