Singular
die
Zeit
time (hour)
Plural: die Zeiten
Why does the noun Zeit have the article die?
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 Zeit
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Zeit | eine Zeit | keine Zeit |
| Akkusativ | die Zeit | eine Zeit | keine Zeit |
| Dativ | der Zeit | einer Zeit | keiner Zeit |
| Genitiv | der Zeit | einer Zeit | keiner Zeit |
| Nominativ | die Zeiten | Zeiten | keine Zeiten |
| Akkusativ | die Zeiten | Zeiten | keine Zeiten |
| Dativ | den Zeiten | Zeiten | keinen Zeiten |
| Genitiv | der Zeiten | Zeiten | keiner Zeiten |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Zeit in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die neue Zeit beginnt.The new time begins. | Eine schöne Zeit ist das.That is a beautiful time. | Keine gute Zeit war das.That was not a good time. |
| Akkusativ | Ich nutze die freie Zeit.I use the free time. | Er braucht eine kurze Zeit.He needs a short time. | Ich habe keine freie Zeit.I have no free time. |
| Dativ | In der neuen Zeit ist es anders.In the new time, it is different. | Nach einer langen Zeit kam er.After a long time, he came. | In keiner freien Zeit arbeitet er.He works in no free time. |
| Genitiv | Das Ende der neuen Zeit ist da.The end of the new time is here. | Während einer kurzen Zeit lernte ich.During a short time, I learned. | Trotz keiner freien Zeit kam er.He came despite no free time. |
| Nominativ | Die alten Zeiten sind vorbei.The old times are over. | Gute Zeiten kommen wieder.Good times are coming back. | Keine schweren Zeiten liegen vor uns.No difficult times lie ahead of us. |
| Akkusativ | Wir genießen die schönen Zeiten.We enjoy the beautiful times. | Sie hat gute Zeiten erlebt.She has experienced good times. | Ich will keine schlechten Zeiten.I want no bad times. |
| Dativ | In den guten Zeiten war er froh.In the good times, he was happy. | Seit vielen Zeiten ist es so.It has been so for a long time. | In keinen schlechten Zeiten leben wir.We live in no bad times. |
| Genitiv | Der Erfolg der letzten Zeiten freut uns.We are pleased with the success of recent times. | Wegen schöner Zeiten sind wir hier.Because of beautiful times, we are here. | Innerhalb keiner guten Zeiten passierte es.It happened within no good times. |
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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 Zeit?
It is die Zeit. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Zeit 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 Zeit?
The German noun Zeit is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Zeit?
The plural form of die Zeit is die Zeiten. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Zeit mean in English?
The German word die Zeit translates to “time (hour)” in English.
How do you decline die Zeit?
Like all German nouns, Zeit changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Zeit
- Akkusativ: die Zeit
- Dativ: der Zeit
- Genitiv: der Zeit
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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