Why does the noun Zucker have the article der?
Nouns formed from verbs with -er ending are mostly masculine. Look at the bolded -er in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.
Examples
der Lehrer (teacher), der Fahrer (driver), der Arbeiter (worker), der Schreiber (writer), der Spieler (player), der Maler (painter)
Exceptions
das Fenster (window), das Wasser (water), die Butter (butter), die Mutter (mother)
Declension table for German noun Zucker
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Zucker | ein Zucker | kein Zucker |
| Akkusativ | den Zucker | einen Zucker | keinen Zucker |
| Dativ | dem Zucker | einem Zucker | keinem Zucker |
| Genitiv | des Zuckers | eines Zuckers | keines Zuckers |
| Nominativ | die Zucker | Zucker | keine Zucker |
| Akkusativ | die Zucker | Zucker | keine Zucker |
| Dativ | den Zuckern | Zuckern | keinen Zuckern |
| Genitiv | der Zucker | Zucker | keiner Zucker |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Zucker in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Der weiße Zucker ist süß.The white sugar is sweet. | Ein brauner Zucker schmeckt gut.A brown sugar tastes good. | Kein billiger Zucker ist hier.No cheap sugar is here. |
| Akkusativ | Ich kaufe den weißen Zucker.I buy the white sugar. | Wir brauchen einen braunen Zucker.We need a brown sugar. | Er isst keinen billigen Zucker.He eats no cheap sugar. |
| Dativ | Er gibt dem weißen Zucker Geschmack.He gives flavor to the white sugar. | Ich gebe einem braunen Zucker hinzu.I add to a brown sugar. | Mit keinem billigen Zucker backe ich.I bake with no cheap sugar. |
| Genitiv | Der Preis des weißen Zuckers ist hoch.The price of the white sugar is high. | Der Geschmack eines braunen Zuckers ist einzigartig.The taste of a brown sugar is unique. | Die Qualität keines billigen Zuckers ist gut.The quality of no cheap sugar is good. |
| Nominativ | Die verschiedenen Zucker sind teuer.The different sugars are expensive. | Süße Zucker sind beliebt.Sweet sugars are popular. | Keine guten Zucker sind verfügbar.No good sugars are available. |
| Akkusativ | Sie mögen die verschiedenen Zucker.They like the different sugars. | Wir finden süße Zucker.We find sweet sugars. | Ich sehe keine guten Zucker.I see no good sugars. |
| Dativ | Sie arbeiten mit den verschiedenen Zuckern.They work with the different sugars. | Wir kochen mit süßen Zuckern.We cook with sweet sugars. | Mit keinen guten Zuckern backen wir.We bake with no good sugars. |
| Genitiv | Die Herkunft der verschiedenen Zucker ist wichtig.The origin of the different sugars is important. | Der Wert süßer Zucker ist bekannt.The value of sweet sugars is known. | Die Farbe keiner guten Zucker ist klar.The color of no good sugars is clear. |
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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 Zucker?
It is der Zucker. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Zucker is masculine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.
What CEFR level is the word Zucker?
The German noun Zucker is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of der Zucker?
The plural form of der Zucker is die Zucker. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does der Zucker mean in English?
The German word der Zucker translates to “sugar” in English.
How do you decline der Zucker?
Like all German nouns, Zucker changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: der Zucker
- Akkusativ: den Zucker
- Dativ: dem Zucker
- Genitiv: des Zuckers
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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