Singular

der

Zwilling

Q: Is it der, die, or das Zwilling?

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

Q: What is the plural of der Zwilling?

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

Q: What does der Zwilling mean in English?

The German word der Zwilling translates to “twin” in English.

Q: How do you decline der Zwilling?

Like all German nouns, Zwilling changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are: Nominativ: der Zwilling Akkusativ: den Zwillingen Dativ: dem Zwillingen Genitiv: des Zwillings 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.

twin

Plural: die Zwillinge

Strong

Why does the noun Zwilling have the article der?

Nouns ending in -ling are masculine. Look at the bolded -ling in the noun above — that suffix is the giveaway.

Examples

der Lehrling (apprentice), der Flüchtling (refugee), der Liebling (darling), der Schmetterling (butterfly), der Feigling (coward), der Fremdling (stranger), der Frühling (spring)

Exceptions

das Peeling, das Bowling (English loanwords with -ing)

View all words for this rule

Declension table for German noun Zwilling

How it changes across the four cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	der Zwilling	ein Zwilling	kein Zwilling
Akkusativ	den Zwillingen	einen Zwillingen	keinen Zwillingen
Dativ	dem Zwillingen	einem Zwillingen	keinem Zwillingen
Genitiv	des Zwillings	eines Zwillings	keines Zwillings
Nominativ	die Zwillinge	Zwillinge	keine Zwillinge
Akkusativ	die Zwillinge	Zwillinge	keine Zwillinge
Dativ	den Zwillingen	Zwillingen	keinen Zwillingen
Genitiv	der Zwillinge	Zwillinge	keiner Zwillinge

Examples in context

Real sentences using Zwilling in different cases.

Case	Definite	Indefinite	Negative
Nominativ	Der junge Zwilling ist hier.The young twin is here.	Ein fröhlicher Zwilling lacht.A happy twin laughs.	Kein alter Zwilling ist traurig.No old twin is sad.
Akkusativ	Ich sehe den jungen Zwillingen.I see the young twin.	Sie sucht einen verlorenen Zwillingen.She is looking for a lost twin.	Wir kennen keinen böseen Zwillingen.We don't know any evil twin.
Dativ	Ich spreche mit dem jungen Zwillingen.I speak with the young twin.	Er hilft einem kleinen Zwillingen.He helps a small twin.	Sie gibt keinem böseen Zwillingen etwas.She gives nothing to any evil twin.
Genitiv	Das Haus des alten Zwillings ist groß.The house of the old twin is big.	Die Mutter eines eines jungen Zwillings ist nett.The mother of a young twin is nice.	Der Name keines keines neuen Zwillings ist bekannt.The name of no new twin is known.
Nominativ	Die kleinen Zwillinge spielen.The small twins are playing.	Identische Zwillinge sind selten.Identical twins are rare.	Keine neuen Zwillinge sind hier.No new twins are here.
Akkusativ	Er kennt die jungen Zwillinge.He knows the young twins.	Ich treffe neue Zwillinge.I meet new twins.	Sie sieht keine alten Zwillinge.She doesn't see any old twins.
Dativ	Ich erzähle den jungen Zwillingen eine Geschichte.I tell the young twins a story.	Sie hilft armen Zwillingen gern.She likes to help poor twins.	Mit keinen schwierigen Zwillingen ist es leicht.It's not easy with any difficult twins.
Genitiv	Die Kleidung der kleinen Zwillinge ist gleich.The clothes of the small twins are the same.	Die Eltern junger Zwillinge sind stolz.The parents of young twins are proud.	Die Namen keiner böseen Zwillinge sind bekannt.The names of no evil twins are known.

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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 Zwilling?

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

What is the plural of der Zwilling?

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

What does der Zwilling mean in English?

The German word der Zwilling translates to “twin” in English.

How do you decline der Zwilling?

Like all German nouns, Zwilling changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:

Nominativ: der Zwilling
Akkusativ: den Zwillingen
Dativ: dem Zwillingen
Genitiv: des Zwillings

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.