der Hund
dog
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 Hund | die Hunde |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | den Hund | die Hunde |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | dem Hund | den Hunden |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | des Hundes | der Hunde |
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 Hund | Hunde |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | einen Hund | Hunde |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | einem Hund | Hunden |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | eines Hundes | Hunde |
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 Hund | keine Hunde |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | keinen Hund | keine Hunde |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | keinem Hund | keinen Hunden |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | keines Hundes | keiner Hunde |
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 Hund | meine Hunde |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | meinen Hund | meine Hunde |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | meinem Hund | meinen Hunden |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | meines Hundes | meiner Hunde |
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: Hunde → Hunden.
Example Sentences in Context
Der Hund läuft fröhlich über die grüne Wiese.
The dog runs happily across the green meadow.
Die Kinder beobachten den Hund voller Neugier.
The children watch the dog full of curiosity.
Interactive Tools & Related Guides
More Nouns in Nature & Animals
FAQs: der Hund
Is "Hund" der, die, or das in German?
"Hund" takes the masculine definite article "der" (der Hund). Gender cue: Lexical gender — memorize together with its article.
What is the plural and Dative plural of "der Hund"?
The Nominative plural of der Hund is "die Hunde" (pattern: -e). In the Dative plural it becomes "den Hunden".
How does "der Hund" change in the Genitive, Accusative, and Dative?
As a strong masculine noun, "Hund" changes only in the Genitive singular (des Hundes); Accusative and Dative keep "Hund".