das Auto
car
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? | das Auto | die Autos |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | das Auto | die Autos |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | dem Auto | den Autos |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | des Autos | der Autos |
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 Auto | Autos |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | ein Auto | Autos |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | einem Auto | Autos |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | eines Autos | Autos |
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 Auto | keine Autos |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | kein Auto | keine Autos |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | keinem Auto | keinen Autos |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | keines Autos | keiner Autos |
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 Auto | meine Autos |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | mein Auto | meine Autos |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | meinem Auto | meinen Autos |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | meines Autos | meiner Autos |
Why These Endings Work
Standard pattern for most masculine (der) and neuter (das) nouns: genitive singular ends in -s or -es.
- Plural "Autos" already ends in -n or -s, so Dative plural stays Autos.
Example Sentences in Context
Viele Autos parken hier.
Many cars park here.
Viele Pendler fahren morgens mit dem Auto ins Zentrum.
Many commuters travel to the city center by car in the morning.
Interactive Tools & Related Guides
More Nouns in City & Travel
FAQs: das Auto
Is "Auto" der, die, or das in German?
"Auto" takes the neuter definite article "das" (das Auto). Gender cue: Shortened loanword ending in -o -> neuter (das), plural -s.
What is the plural and Dative plural of "das Auto"?
The Nominative plural of das Auto is "die Autos" (pattern: -s). In the Dative plural it becomes "den Autos".
How does "das Auto" change in the Genitive, Accusative, and Dative?
As a strong neuter noun, "Auto" changes only in the Genitive singular (des Autos); Accusative and Dative keep "Auto".