der Opa
grandpa
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 Opa | die Opas |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | den Opa | die Opas |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | dem Opa | den Opas |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | des Opas | der Opas |
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 Opa | Opas |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | einen Opa | Opas |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | einem Opa | Opas |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | eines Opas | Opas |
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 Opa | keine Opas |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | keinen Opa | keine Opas |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | keinem Opa | keinen Opas |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | keines Opas | keiner Opas |
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 Opa | meine Opas |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | meinen Opa | meine Opas |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | meinem Opa | meinen Opas |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | meines Opas | meiner Opas |
Why These Endings Work
Standard pattern for most masculine (der) and neuter (das) nouns: genitive singular ends in -s or -es.
- Plural "Opas" already ends in -n or -s, so Dative plural stays Opas.
Example Sentences in Context
Mein Opa erzählt gern alte Geschichten.
My grandpa likes telling old stories.
Hast du den Opa schon angerufen?
Have you called grandpa yet?
Mit dem Opa gehe ich oft angeln.
I often go fishing with grandpa.
Interactive Tools & Related Guides
More Nouns in People & Family
FAQs: der Opa
Is "Opa" der, die, or das in German?
"Opa" takes the masculine definite article "der" (der Opa). Gender cue: Natural male gender (der); plural -s for short familiar words.
What is the plural and Dative plural of "der Opa"?
The Nominative plural of der Opa is "die Opas" (pattern: -s). In the Dative plural it becomes "den Opas".
How does "der Opa" change in the Genitive, Accusative, and Dative?
As a strong masculine noun, "Opa" changes only in the Genitive singular (des Opas); Accusative and Dative keep "Opa".