Why does the noun Zeitung have the article die?

Nouns ending in -ung are always feminine. Look at the bolded -ung in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

die Zeitung (newspaper), die Wohnung (apartment), die Bildung (education), die Hoffnung (hope), die Übung (exercise), die Meinung (opinion), die Erfahrung (experience)

Exceptions

der Sprung (jump), der Schwung (momentum) - these are verb stems, not the -ung suffix

Declension table for German noun Zeitung

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdie Zeitungeine Zeitungkeine Zeitung
Akkusativdie Zeitungeine Zeitungkeine Zeitung
Dativder Zeitungeiner Zeitungkeiner Zeitung
Genitivder Zeitungeiner Zeitungkeiner Zeitung

Examples in context

Real sentences using Zeitung in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Die alte Zeitung liegt auf dem Tisch.The old newspaper is on the table.
Hier ist eine neue Zeitung.Here is a new newspaper.
Keine deutsche Zeitung kam heute an.No German newspaper arrived today.
Akkusativ
Ich lese die aktuelle Zeitung.I am reading the current newspaper.
Er kauft eine englische Zeitung.He is buying an English newspaper.
Ich möchte keine alte Zeitung haben.I don't want to have an old newspaper.
Dativ
In der heutigen Zeitung steht ein Artikel.There is an article in today's newspaper.
Ich arbeite bei einer großen Zeitung.I work at a big newspaper.
Mit keiner lokalen Zeitung geht das.That's not possible with any local newspaper.
Genitiv
Der Titel der neuen Zeitung ist lang.The title of the new newspaper is long.
Das ist der Inhalt einer spanischen Zeitung.That is the content of a Spanish newspaper.
Trotz keiner offiziellen Zeitung war er da.He was there despite no official newspaper.

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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 Zeitung?

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

The German noun Zeitung is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of die Zeitung?

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

What does die Zeitung mean in English?

The German word die Zeitung translates to “newspaper” in English.

How do you decline die Zeitung?

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

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.