der Onkel
uncle
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 Onkel | die Onkel |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | den Onkel | die Onkel |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | dem Onkel | den Onkeln |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | des Onkels | der Onkel |
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 Onkel | Onkel |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | einen Onkel | Onkel |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | einem Onkel | Onkeln |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | eines Onkels | Onkel |
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 Onkel | keine Onkel |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | keinen Onkel | keine Onkel |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | keinem Onkel | keinen Onkeln |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | keines Onkels | keiner Onkel |
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 Onkel | meine Onkel |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | meinen Onkel | meine Onkel |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | meinem Onkel | meinen Onkeln |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | meines Onkels | meiner Onkel |
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: Onkel → Onkeln.
Example Sentences in Context
Mein Onkel wohnt in Österreich.
My uncle lives in Austria.
Ich besuche meinen Onkel in den Ferien.
I visit my uncle in the holidays.
Das Auto gehört meinem Onkel.
The car belongs to my uncle.
Interactive Tools & Related Guides
More Nouns in People & Family
FAQs: der Onkel
Is "Onkel" der, die, or das in German?
"Onkel" takes the masculine definite article "der" (der Onkel). Gender cue: Natural male gender (der); female is die Tante.
What is the plural and Dative plural of "der Onkel"?
The Nominative plural of der Onkel is "die Onkel" (pattern: -). In the Dative plural it becomes "den Onkeln".
How does "der Onkel" change in the Genitive, Accusative, and Dative?
As a strong masculine noun, "Onkel" changes only in the Genitive singular (des Onkels); Accusative and Dative keep "Onkel".