der Bruder
brother
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 Bruder | die Brüder |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | den Bruder | die Brüder |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | dem Bruder | den Brüdern |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | des Bruders | der Brüder |
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 Bruder | Brüder |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | einen Bruder | Brüder |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | einem Bruder | Brüdern |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | eines Bruders | Brüder |
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 Bruder | keine Brüder |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | keinen Bruder | keine Brüder |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | keinem Bruder | keinen Brüdern |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | keines Bruders | keiner Brüder |
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 Bruder | meine Brüder |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | meinen Bruder | meine Brüder |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | meinem Bruder | meinen Brüdern |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | meines Bruders | meiner Brüder |
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: Brüder → Brüdern.
Example Sentences in Context
Mein Bruder studiert Medizin.
My brother studies medicine.
Ich besuche meinen Bruder oft in Hamburg.
I often visit my brother in Hamburg.
Interactive Tools & Related Guides
More Nouns in People & Family
FAQs: der Bruder
Is "Bruder" der, die, or das in German?
"Bruder" takes the masculine definite article "der" (der Bruder). Gender cue: Natural male gender (der); umlaut-only plural (die Brüder).
What is the plural and Dative plural of "der Bruder"?
The Nominative plural of der Bruder is "die Brüder" (pattern: ¨-). In the Dative plural it becomes "den Brüdern".
How does "der Bruder" change in the Genitive, Accusative, and Dative?
As a strong masculine noun, "Bruder" changes only in the Genitive singular (des Bruders); Accusative and Dative keep "Bruder".