Why does the noun Zange 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 Zange

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Zangeeine Zangekeine Zange
Akkusativdie Zangeeine Zangekeine Zange
Dativder Zangeeiner Zangekeiner Zange
Genitivder Zangeeiner Zangekeiner Zange

Examples in context

Real sentences using Zange in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die große Zange ist schwer.The large pliers are heavy.
Eine neue Zange liegt hier.A new pair of pliers is lying here.
Keine passende Zange ist da.No suitable pliers are there.
Akkusativ
Ich brauche die große Zange.I need the large pliers.
Er sucht eine passende Zange.He is looking for a suitable pair of pliers.
Ich habe keine kaputte Zange.I have no broken pliers.
Dativ
Er arbeitet mit der großen Zange.He works with the large pliers.
Mit einer kleinen Zange geht es.It works with a small pair of pliers.
Ich kann mit keiner passenden Zange arbeiten.I cannot work with any suitable pliers.
Genitiv
Die Farbe der neuen Zange ist rot.The color of the new pliers is red.
Der Griff einer alten Zange fehlt.The handle of an old pair of pliers is missing.
Ich kenne den Wert keiner billigen Zange.I know the value of no cheap pliers.

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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 Zange?

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

What is the plural of die Zange?

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

What does die Zange mean in English?

The German word die Zange translates to “pliers” in English.

How do you decline die Zange?

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

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.