das Tier
animal
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 Tier | die Tiere |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | das Tier | die Tiere |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | dem Tier | den Tieren |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | des Tieres | der Tiere |
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 Tier | Tiere |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | ein Tier | Tiere |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | einem Tier | Tieren |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | eines Tieres | Tiere |
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 Tier | keine Tiere |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | kein Tier | keine Tiere |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | keinem Tier | keinen Tieren |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | keines Tieres | keiner Tiere |
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 Tier | meine Tiere |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | mein Tier | meine Tiere |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | meinem Tier | meinen Tieren |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | meines Tieres | meiner Tiere |
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: Tiere → Tieren.
Example Sentences in Context
Das Tier ist ganz zahm.
The animal is very tame.
Die Kinder beobachten das Tier voller Neugier.
The children watch the animal full of curiosity.
Interactive Tools & Related Guides
More Nouns in Nature & Animals
FAQs: das Tier
Is "Tier" der, die, or das in German?
"Tier" takes the neuter definite article "das" (das Tier). Gender cue: Lexical gender — memorize together with its article.
What is the plural and Dative plural of "das Tier"?
The Nominative plural of das Tier is "die Tiere" (pattern: -e). In the Dative plural it becomes "den Tieren".
How does "das Tier" change in the Genitive, Accusative, and Dative?
As a strong neuter noun, "Tier" changes only in the Genitive singular (des Tieres); Accusative and Dative keep "Tier".