Why does the noun Zelle 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 Zelle
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Zelle | eine Zelle | keine Zelle |
| Akkusativ | die Zelle | eine Zelle | keine Zelle |
| Dativ | der Zelle | einer Zelle | keiner Zelle |
| Genitiv | der Zelle | einer Zelle | keiner Zelle |
| Nominativ | die Zellen | Zellen | keine Zellen |
| Akkusativ | die Zellen | Zellen | keine Zellen |
| Dativ | den Zellen | Zellen | keinen Zellen |
| Genitiv | der Zellen | Zellen | keiner Zellen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Zelle in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Die biologische Zelle ist sehr klein.The biological cell is very small. | Hier entsteht eine neue Zelle.A new cell is forming here. | Keine einzelne Zelle kann ewig leben.No single cell can live forever. |
| Akkusativ | Er untersucht die menschliche Zelle.He is examining the human cell. | Ich sehe eine unbekannte Zelle.I see an unknown cell. | Das Virus befällt keine gesunde Zelle.The virus does not infect any healthy cell. |
| Dativ | Er hilft der schwachen Zelle.He helps the weak cell. | Das ähnelt einer pflanzlichen Zelle.That resembles a plant cell. | Ich vertraue keiner einzigen Zelle.I don't trust a single cell. |
| Genitiv | Die Funktion der einzelnen Zelle ist unklar.The function of the single cell is unclear. | Das ist Teil einer größeren Zelle.That is part of a larger cell. | Trotz keiner sichtbaren Zelle gab es Probleme.Despite no visible cell, there were problems. |
| Nominativ | Die körpereigenen Zellen sind gesund.The body's own cells are healthy. | Dort waren aktive Zellen zu sehen.Active cells could be seen there. | Wir fanden keine lebenden Zellen mehr.We found no more living cells. |
| Akkusativ | Man klont die genetischen Zellen.They are cloning the genetic cells. | Er hat neue Zellen entdeckt.He has discovered new cells. | Ich brauche keine speziellen Zellen dafür.I don't need any special cells for that. |
| Dativ | Er arbeitet mit den menschlichen Zellen.He works with the human cells. | Das schadet gesunden Zellen.That harms healthy cells. | Mit keinen defekten Zellen geht das.That's not possible with any defective cells. |
| Genitiv | Das Verhalten der kranken Zellen wird erforscht.The behavior of the diseased cells is being researched. | Die Analyse verschiedener Zellen dauert lange.The analysis of different cells takes a long time. | Wegen keiner intakten Zellen schlug der Test fehl.Because of no intact cells, the test failed. |
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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 Zelle?
It is die Zelle. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Zelle 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 Zelle?
The German noun Zelle is categorized as Upper-Intermediate (B2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of die Zelle?
The plural form of die Zelle is die Zellen. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does die Zelle mean in English?
The German word die Zelle translates to “cell” in English.
How do you decline die Zelle?
Like all German nouns, Zelle changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: die Zelle
- Akkusativ: die Zelle
- Dativ: der Zelle
- Genitiv: der Zelle
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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Strong Standard declension — no extra -(e)n. The 96% majority.
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