der Brief
letter
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 Brief | die Briefe |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | den Brief | die Briefe |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | dem Brief | den Briefen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | des Briefes | der Briefe |
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 Brief | Briefe |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | einen Brief | Briefe |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | einem Brief | Briefen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | eines Briefes | Briefe |
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 Brief | keine Briefe |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | keinen Brief | keine Briefe |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | keinem Brief | keinen Briefen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | keines Briefes | keiner Briefe |
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 Brief | meine Briefe |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | meinen Brief | meine Briefe |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | meinem Brief | meinen Briefen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | meines Briefes | meiner Briefe |
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: Briefe → Briefen.
Example Sentences in Context
Ich schicke den Brief per Einschreiben.
I am sending the letter by registered mail.
In dem Brief erzählt meine Oma von ihrem Urlaub.
In the letter, my grandma tells me about her vacation.
Interactive Tools & Related Guides
More Nouns in Clothes & Objects
FAQs: der Brief
Is "Brief" der, die, or das in German?
"Brief" takes the masculine definite article "der" (der Brief). Gender cue: Lexical gender — memorize together with its article.
What is the plural and Dative plural of "der Brief"?
The Nominative plural of der Brief is "die Briefe" (pattern: -e). In the Dative plural it becomes "den Briefen".
How does "der Brief" change in the Genitive, Accusative, and Dative?
As a strong masculine noun, "Brief" changes only in the Genitive singular (des Briefes); Accusative and Dative keep "Brief".