FGL: Definite and Indefinite Articles

Gender of Nouns and Definite Articles

Definite Articles - Review

The word "the" (der, die, das) is called a definite article because it defines a noun. If someone says "the book" it is understood that it is a particular book.

Definite Articles - Examples
Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
der Computer	die Pflanze	das Bett

Indefinite Articles - ein/eine

Now that we have learned the definite article "the" (der, die, das), it is time to talk about the indefinite article a, an in German:

• a,an (ein/eine) are indefinite articles, because "a book" can be any book (undefined). 

The German indefinite article ein is equivalent to English a or an. In German the indefinite article has two forms (when used as a nominative or subject): ein (when the grammatical gender of the noun is masculine or neuter) and eine (when the noun is feminine).

• ein = masculine or neuter (ein Computer, ein Bett)
• eine = feminine (eine Pflanze)

Practice Activity

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