der Teller
plate
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 Teller | die Teller |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | den Teller | die Teller |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | dem Teller | den Tellern |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | des Tellers | der Teller |
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 Teller | Teller |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | einen Teller | Teller |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | einem Teller | Tellern |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | eines Tellers | Teller |
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 Teller | keine Teller |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | keinen Teller | keine Teller |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | keinem Teller | keinen Tellern |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | keines Tellers | keiner Teller |
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 Teller | meine Teller |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | meinen Teller | meine Teller |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | meinem Teller | meinen Tellern |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | meines Tellers | meiner Teller |
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: Teller → Tellern.
Example Sentences in Context
Kannst du mir bitte einen Teller geben?
Can you give me a plate, please?
Auf dem Teller liegt noch ein kleines Stück Brot.
There is still a small piece of bread on the plate.
Interactive Tools & Related Guides
More Nouns in Food & Drink
FAQs: der Teller
Is "Teller" der, die, or das in German?
"Teller" takes the masculine definite article "der" (der Teller). Gender cue: Lexical gender — memorize together with its article.
What is the plural and Dative plural of "der Teller"?
The Nominative plural of der Teller is "die Teller" (pattern: -). In the Dative plural it becomes "den Tellern".
How does "der Teller" change in the Genitive, Accusative, and Dative?
As a strong masculine noun, "Teller" changes only in the Genitive singular (des Tellers); Accusative and Dative keep "Teller".