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A1 German grammar — Numbers. Every German noun has a gender: masculine (der), feminine (die), neuter (das). Indefinite articles are ein / eine / ein.…
Rule explained
Every German noun has a gender: masculine (der), feminine (die), neuter (das). Indefinite articles are ein / eine / ein. Articles **change with case** — for numbers and counting, you often combine **cardinals** with **plural nouns** (*drei **Äpfel*** with strong-case patterns on following adjectives if any). **eins** drops to **ein** before neuter nouns (*ein Buch*); as a standalone answer it can stay *eins*. Learn number + noun as a phrase where gender matters (*ein Euro* m., *eine Million* f. in counting style).
Examples
Use these mini-pairs as templates:
- Der Mann ist alt. — The man is old.
- Die Frau ist nett. — The woman is nice.
- Das Kind spielt. — The child plays.
- Ich habe einen Hund. — I have a dog.
- Sie kauft eine Tasche. — She buys a bag.
Common mistakes
Watch out for these learner errors:
- Always learn the article WITH the noun — gender is rarely guessable.
- Plural always uses 'die' regardless of original gender.