der See
lake
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 See | die Seen |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | den See | die Seen |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | dem See | den Seen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | des Sees | der Seen |
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 See | Seen |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | einen See | Seen |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | einem See | Seen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | eines Sees | Seen |
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 See | keine Seen |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | keinen See | keine Seen |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | keinem See | keinen Seen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | keines Sees | keiner Seen |
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 See | meine Seen |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | meinen See | meine Seen |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | meinem See | meinen Seen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | meines Sees | meiner Seen |
Why These Endings Work
Standard pattern for most masculine (der) and neuter (das) nouns: genitive singular ends in -s or -es.
- Plural "Seen" already ends in -n or -s, so Dative plural stays Seen.
Example Sentences in Context
Wir machen heute einen Ausflug an den See.
Today we are taking a trip to the lake.
In der Mitte des Sees liegt eine kleine Insel.
There is a small island in the middle of the lake.
Interactive Tools & Related Guides
More Nouns in Nature & Animals
FAQs: der See
Is "See" der, die, or das in German?
"See" takes the masculine definite article "der" (der See). Gender cue: der See = lake (strong sg, -n plural); note: die See = sea/ocean.
What is the plural and Dative plural of "der See"?
The Nominative plural of der See is "die Seen" (pattern: -n). In the Dative plural it becomes "den Seen".
How does "der See" change in the Genitive, Accusative, and Dative?
As a strong masculine noun, "See" changes only in the Genitive singular (des Sees); Accusative and Dative keep "See".