Why does the noun Zeugnis have the article das?

About 70% of nouns ending in -nis are neuter. Look at the bolded -nis in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

das Ergebnis (result), das Ereignis (event), das Geheimnis (secret), das Verhältnis (relationship), das Erlebnis (experience), das Bedürfnis (need)

Exceptions

die Kenntnis (knowledge), die Erlaubnis (permission), die Finsternis (darkness), die Besorgnis (concern)

Declension table for German noun Zeugnis

How it changes across the four cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativdas Zeugnisein Zeugniskein Zeugnis
Akkusativdas Zeugnisein Zeugniskein Zeugnis

Examples in context

Real sentences using Zeugnis in different cases.

CaseDefiniteIndefiniteNegative
Nominativ
Das gute Zeugnis liegt hier.The good certificate is here.
Ein altes Zeugnis ist weg.An old certificate is gone.
Kein neues Zeugnis ist nötig.No new certificate is necessary.
Akkusativ
Ich brauche das gute Zeugnis.I need the good certificate.
Er bekommt ein neues Zeugnis.He gets a new certificate.
Sie hat kein altes Zeugnis.She has no old certificate.

GET THE APP

Practice das Zeugnis in the app

Master das Zeugnis (and 5,000+ other German nouns) with quizzes, smart review, and instant grammar tips.

  • 5,000+ nouns with translations in 11 languages
  • Quizzes by level, category, or your weakest words
  • Snap a photo of any German text — extract nouns instantly
Der Artikel app — quiz screen Der Artikel app — grammar rule tooltip

Frequently asked questions

Everything you might wonder about der, die, das — and the Der Artikel app.

Is it der, die, or das Zeugnis?

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

What CEFR level is the word Zeugnis?

The German noun Zeugnis is categorized as Elementary (A2) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.

What is the plural of das Zeugnis?

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

What does das Zeugnis mean in English?

The German word das Zeugnis translates to “report, testimonial” in English.

How do you decline das Zeugnis?

Like all German nouns, Zeugnis changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
  • Nominativ: das Zeugnis
  • Akkusativ: das Zeugnis

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.