der Name
name
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 Name | die Namen |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | den Namen | die Namen |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | dem Namen | den Namen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | des Namens | der Namen |
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 Name | Namen |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | einen Namen | Namen |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | einem Namen | Namen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | eines Namens | Namen |
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 Name | keine Namen |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | keinen Namen | keine Namen |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | keinem Namen | keinen Namen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | keines Namens | keiner Namen |
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 Name | meine Namen |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | meinen Namen | meine Namen |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | meinem Namen | meinen Namen |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | meines Namens | meiner Namen |
Why These Endings Work
Small group of nouns combining weak -(e)n endings with strong genitive -ns (e.g. der Name, der Gedanke, das Herz).
- Mixed masculine declension: takes -n in Accusative/Dative singular and -ns in Genitive singular.
- Plural "Namen" already ends in -n or -s, so Dative plural stays Namen.
Example Sentences in Context
Mein Name ist Hannah und ich unterrichte Deutsch.
My name is Hannah and I teach German.
Bitte schreiben Sie Ihren Namen auf das Formular.
Please write your name on the form.
Die Schreibweise des Namens ist gar nicht schwer.
The spelling of the name is not difficult at all.
Interactive Tools & Related Guides
More Nouns with Similar Declension
FAQs: der Name
Is "Name" der, die, or das in German?
"Name" takes the masculine definite article "der" (der Name). Gender cue: Mixed declension (-e stem): den/dem Namen, Genitive des Namens.
What is the plural and Dative plural of "der Name"?
The Nominative plural of der Name is "die Namen" (pattern: -n). In the Dative plural it becomes "den Namen".
How does "der Name" change in the Genitive, Accusative, and Dative?
"Name" belongs to the small mixed declension class: Nominative "der Name", Accusative "den Namen", Dative "dem Namen", and Genitive "des Namens".