die Sonne
sun
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? | die Sonne | die Sonnen |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | die Sonne | die Sonnen |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | der Sonne | den Sonnen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | der Sonne | der Sonnen |
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? | eine Sonne | Sonnen |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | eine Sonne | Sonnen |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | einer Sonne | Sonnen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | einer Sonne | Sonnen |
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? | keine Sonne | keine Sonnen |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | keine Sonne | keine Sonnen |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | keiner Sonne | keinen Sonnen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | keiner Sonne | keiner Sonnen |
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? | meine Sonne | meine Sonnen |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | meine Sonne | meine Sonnen |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | meiner Sonne | meinen Sonnen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | meiner Sonne | meiner Sonnen |
Why These Endings Work
All feminine (die) nouns stay completely unchanged in the singular across Nominative, Accusative, Dative, and Genitive.
- Feminine nouns never change their own ending in the singular across all four cases.
- Plural "Sonnen" already ends in -n or -s, so Dative plural stays Sonnen.
Example Sentences in Context
Die Sonne scheint hell.
The sun shines brightly.
Wir spüren die Sonne schon am frühen Morgen.
We feel the sun already in the early morning.
Interactive Tools & Related Guides
More Nouns in Nature & Animals
FAQs: die Sonne
Is "Sonne" der, die, or das in German?
"Sonne" takes the feminine definite article "die" (die Sonne). Gender cue: Two-syllable noun ending in -e -> feminine (die).
What is the plural and Dative plural of "die Sonne"?
The Nominative plural of die Sonne is "die Sonnen" (pattern: -n). In the Dative plural it becomes "den Sonnen".
How does "die Sonne" change in the Genitive, Accusative, and Dative?
As a feminine noun, "Sonne" keeps the exact same stem in all four singular cases; only the article changes (die Sonne / die Sonne / der Sonne / der Sonne).