die Luft
air
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? | die Luft | — (singular only) |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | die Luft | — (singular only) |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | der Luft | — (singular only) |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | der Luft | — (singular only) |
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? | eine Luft | — (singular only) |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | eine Luft | — (singular only) |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | einer Luft | — (singular only) |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | einer Luft | — (singular only) |
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? | keine Luft | — (singular only) |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | keine Luft | — (singular only) |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | keiner Luft | — (singular only) |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | keiner Luft | — (singular only) |
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? | meine Luft | — (singular only) |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | meine Luft | — (singular only) |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | meiner Luft | — (singular only) |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | meiner Luft | — (singular only) |
Why These Endings Work
All feminine (die) nouns stay completely unchanged in the singular across Nominative, Accusative, Dative, and Genitive.
- Feminine nouns never change their own ending in the singular across all four cases.
- Uncountable / singular-only noun in standard usage (no common plural table).
Example Sentences in Context
Die Luft in den Bergen ist sehr klar.
The air in the mountains is very clear.
Mach das Fenster auf, wir brauchen frische Luft.
Open the window, we need fresh air.
Die Vögel fliegen hoch in der Luft.
The birds fly high in the air.
Interactive Tools & Related Guides
More Nouns in Nature & Animals
FAQs: die Luft
Is "Luft" der, die, or das in German?
"Luft" takes the feminine definite article "die" (die Luft). Gender cue: Singulare tantum (uncountable mass noun, no standard plural).
What is the plural and Dative plural of "die Luft"?
"die Luft" is normally uncountable (singular-only) in standard German and does not form a common plural table.
How does "die Luft" change in the Genitive, Accusative, and Dative?
As a feminine noun, "Luft" keeps the exact same stem in all four singular cases; only the article changes (die Luft / die Luft / der Luft / der Luft).