Why does the noun Welle have the article die?
About 90% of nouns ending in -e are feminine.
Examples
die Lampe (lamp), die Schule (school), die Tasche (bag), die Klasse (class), die Straße (street), die Sonne (sun), die Blume (flower)
Exceptions
der Junge (boy), der Löwe (lion), der Affe (monkey), der Name (name), der Käse (cheese), das Ende (end), das Auge (eye)
Declension table for German noun Welle
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Welle | eine Welle | keine Welle |
| Akkusativ | die Welle | eine Welle | keine Welle |
| Dativ | der Welle | einer Welle | keiner Welle |
| Genitiv | der Welle | einer Welle | keiner Welle |
| Nominativ | die Wellen | Wellen | keine Wellen |
| Akkusativ | die Wellen | Wellen | keine Wellen |
| Dativ | den Wellen | Wellen | keinen Wellen |
| Genitiv | der Wellen | Wellen | keiner Wellen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Welle in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die große Welle kommt schnell.The big wave comes quickly. | Eine kleine Welle ist hier.A small wave is here. | Keine hohe Welle ist sichtbar.No high wave is visible. |
| Akkusativ | Ich sehe die blaue Welle.I see the blue wave. | Er spürt eine kalte Welle.He feels a cold wave. | Ich sehe keine Welle mehr.I see no more wave. |
| Dativ | Ich stehe auf der hohen Welle.I stand on the high wave. | Er träumt von einer schönen Welle.He dreams of a beautiful wave. | Ich träume von keiner Welle.I dream of no wave. |
| Genitiv | Die Kraft der Welle ist enorm.The power of the wave is enormous. | Die Farbe einer Welle ist schön.The color of a wave is beautiful. | Die Höhe keiner Welle ist bekannt.The height of no wave is known. |
| Nominativ | Die hohen Wellen sind gefährlich.The high waves are dangerous. | Kleine Wellen sind harmlos.Small waves are harmless. | Keine großen Wellen sind heute.No big waves are today. |
| Akkusativ | Wir lieben die großen Wellen.We love the big waves. | Ich sehe viele Wellen am Strand.I see many waves on the beach. | Sie mag keine Wellen im Meer.She doesn't like waves in the sea. |
| Dativ | Ich schwimme mit den großen Wellen.I swim with the big waves. | Ich spiele mit kleinen Wellen.I play with small waves. | Ich spiele mit keinen Wellen.I play with no waves. |
| Genitiv | Die Bewegung der Wellen ist stark.The movement of the waves is strong. | Die Schönheit hoher Wellen ist bekannt.The beauty of high waves is known. | Die Gefahr keiner Wellen ist groß.The danger of no waves is great. |
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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 Welle?
It is die Welle. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Welle is feminine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.
What CEFR level is the word Welle?
The German noun Welle is categorized as Elementary (A2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Welle?
The plural form of die Welle is die Wellen. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Welle mean in English?
The German word die Welle translates to “wave” in English.
How do you decline die Welle?
Like all German nouns, Welle changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Welle
- Akkusativ: die Welle
- Dativ: der Welle
- Genitiv: der Welle
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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Strong Standard declension — no extra -(e)n. The 96% majority.
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