der Freund
friend / boyfriend
Full 4-Case Declension Table
Switch determiner types to inspect how articles and noun endings change together.
Definite (der / die / das): Used for specific, already known, or general-category nouns.
| Case (Fall) | Question | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
Nominative Nominativ (Werfall) | Wer oder was? | der Freund | die Freunde |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | den Freund | die Freunde |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | dem Freund | den Freunden |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | des Freundes | der Freunde |
Indefinite (ein / eine): Used when introducing a countable singular noun; has no plural article in German.
| Case (Fall) | Question | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
Nominative Nominativ (Werfall) | Wer oder was? | ein Freund | Freunde |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | einen Freund | Freunde |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | einem Freund | Freunden |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | eines Freundes | Freunde |
Negative (kein / keine): Negates nouns with or without an indefinite article; follows ein-words in singular and die in plural.
| Case (Fall) | Question | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
Nominative Nominativ (Werfall) | Wer oder was? | kein Freund | keine Freunde |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | keinen Freund | keine Freunde |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | keinem Freund | keinen Freunden |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | keines Freundes | keiner Freunde |
Possessive (mein / dein / …): Uses ein-word endings in singular and definite-like endings in plural (mein/dein/sein/ihr/unser/euer/Ihr).
| Case (Fall) | Question | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
Nominative Nominativ (Werfall) | Wer oder was? | mein Freund | meine Freunde |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | meinen Freund | meine Freunde |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | meinem Freund | meinen Freunden |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | meines Freundes | meiner Freunde |
Why These Endings Work
Standard pattern for most masculine (der) and neuter (das) nouns: genitive singular ends in -s or -es.
- Dative plural adds -n to the plural stem: Freunde → Freunden.
Example Sentences in Context
Mein Freund wohnt gleich um die Ecke.
My friend lives just around the corner.
Ich treffe meinen Freund heute Abend im Kino.
I'm meeting my friend at the cinema tonight.
Interactive Tools & Related Guides
More Nouns in People & Family
FAQs: der Freund
Is "Freund" der, die, or das in German?
"Freund" takes the masculine definite article "der" (der Freund). Gender cue: Natural male gender (der); female counterpart adds -in (die Freundin).
What is the plural and Dative plural of "der Freund"?
The Nominative plural of der Freund is "die Freunde" (pattern: -e). In the Dative plural it becomes "den Freunden".
How does "der Freund" change in the Genitive, Accusative, and Dative?
As a strong masculine noun, "Freund" changes only in the Genitive singular (des Freundes); Accusative and Dative keep "Freund".