Why does the noun Wolle 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 Wolle

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Wolleeine Wollekeine Wolle
Akkusativdie Wolleeine Wollekeine Wolle
Dativder Wolleeiner Wollekeiner Wolle
Genitivder Wolleeiner Wollekeiner Wolle

Examples in context

Real sentences using Wolle in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die neue Wolle ist sehr weich.The new wool is very soft.
Eine dicke Wolle liegt auf dem Tisch.A thick wool lies on the table.
Keine kratzige Wolle ist hier.No scratchy wool is here.
Akkusativ
Ich kaufe die warme Wolle für einen Pullover.I buy the warm wool for a sweater.
Er sucht eine reine Wolle im Geschäft.He is looking for pure wool in the store.
Ich brauche keine kratzige Wolle.I don't need any scratchy wool.
Dativ
Ich bin mit der neuen Wolle zufrieden.I am satisfied with the new wool.
Mit einer weichen Wolle strickt man gern.With soft wool, one likes to knit.
Ich kann mit keiner kratzigen Wolle arbeiten.I cannot work with any scratchy wool.
Genitiv
Der Preis der neuen Wolle ist hoch.The price of the new wool is high.
Die Qualität einer reinen Wolle ist wichtig.The quality of a pure wool is important.
Der Stil keiner kratzigen Wolle ist modern.The style of no scratchy wool is modern.

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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 Wolle?

It is die Wolle. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Wolle 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 Wolle?

The German noun Wolle is categorized as Elementary (A2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of die Wolle?

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

What does die Wolle mean in English?

The German word die Wolle translates to “wool” in English.

How do you decline die Wolle?

Like all German nouns, Wolle changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
  • Nominativ: die Wolle
  • Akkusativ: die Wolle
  • Dativ: der Wolle
  • Genitiv: der Wolle

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.