Zaun

Q: Is it der, die, or das Zaun?

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

Q: What is the plural of der Zaun?

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

Q: What does der Zaun mean in English?

The German word der Zaun translates to “fence” in English.

Q: How do you decline der Zaun?

Like all German nouns, Zaun changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are: Nominativ: der Zaun Akkusativ: den Zaun Dativ: dem Zaun Genitiv: des Zaunes 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.

fence

Plural: die Zäune

Strong

Why does the noun Zaun have the article der?

This noun follows no general suffix rule — its gender is part of the core vocabulary you simply learn alongside the word.

Declension table for German noun Zaun

How it changes across the four cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	der Zaun	ein Zaun	kein Zaun
Akkusativ	den Zaun	einen Zaun	keinen Zaun
Dativ	dem Zaun	einem Zaun	keinem Zaun
Genitiv	des Zaunes	eines Zaunes	keines Zaunes
Nominativ	die Zäune	Zäune	keine Zäune
Akkusativ	die Zäune	Zäune	keine Zäune
Dativ	den Zäunen	Zäunen	keinen Zäunen
Genitiv	der Zäune	Zäune	keiner Zäune

Examples in context

Real sentences using Zaun in different cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	Der neue Zaun ist hoch.The new fence is high.	Ein starker Zaun schützt das Haus.A strong fence protects the house.	Kein langer Zaun steht hier.No long fence stands here.
Akkusativ	Ich streiche den alten Zaun.I paint the old fence.	Wir bauen einen neuen Zaun.We build a new fence.	Er hat keinen hochen Zaun.He has no high fence.
Dativ	Ich stehe an dem hochen Zaun.I stand by the high fence.	Sie lehnt an einem alten Zaun.She leans against an old fence.	Er sitzt vor keinem neuen Zaun.He sits in front of no new fence.
Genitiv	Die Höhe des neuen Zaunes ist wichtig.The height of the new fence is important.	Die Farbe eines eines alten Zaunes ist braun.The color of an old fence is brown.	Die Stabilität keines keines kurzen Zaunes ist gut.The stability of no short fence is good.
Nominativ	Die hochen Zäune sind alt.The high fences are old.	Neue Zäune sind teuer.New fences are expensive.	Keine kurzen Zäune sind hier.No short fences are here.
Akkusativ	Sie reparieren die kaputten Zäune.They repair the broken fences.	Wir brauchen lange Zäune für den Garten.We need long fences for the garden.	Ich sehe keine neuen Zäune hier.I see no new fences here.
Dativ	Wir gehen entlang den langen Zäunen.We walk along the long fences.	Ich spreche mit hochen Zäunen.I talk to high fences.	Sie arbeitet an keinen kaputten Zäunen.She doesn't work on any broken fences.
Genitiv	Die Reparatur der kaputten Zäune ist teuer.The repair of the broken fences is expensive.	Der Bau neuer Zäune dauert lange.The construction of new fences takes a long time.	Die Farbe keiner alten Zäune ist schön.The color of no old fences is beautiful.

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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 Zaun?

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

What is the plural of der Zaun?

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

What does der Zaun mean in English?

The German word der Zaun translates to “fence” in English.

How do you decline der Zaun?

Like all German nouns, Zaun changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:

Nominativ: der Zaun
Akkusativ: den Zaun
Dativ: dem Zaun
Genitiv: des Zaunes

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.