What Are German Indefinite Articles?
German indefinite articles (unbestimmte Artikel) are used to refer to non-specific nouns — the equivalent of 'a' or 'an' in English. Like definite articles, indefinite articles change based on three factors: the grammatical gender of the noun (masculine, feminine, neuter), the case (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive), and number. However, indefinite articles only have singular forms; there is no indefinite plural.
German indefinite articles are ein (masculine), eine (feminine), and ein (neuter) in the nominative singular. They change form based on gender, case, and number — ein Mann, eine Frau, ein Kind in nominative, but einen Mann, eine Frau, ein Kind in accusative.
- •Nominative: ein
- •Accusative: einen
- •Dative: einem
- •Genitive: eines
- •Nominative: eine / ein
- •Accusative: eine / ein
- •Dative: einer / einem
- •Genitive: einer / eines
Step-by-step worked examples
Complete: 'Ich sehe _____ Frau.' (a woman — accusative feminine)
'Frau' is feminine Accusative feminine = eine (same as nominative) Answer: 'Ich sehe eine Frau.'
Complete: 'Das gehört _____ Freund.' (a friend — dative masculine)
'Freund' is masculine Dative masculine = einem Answer: 'Das gehört einem Freund.'
Complete: 'Das ist das Auto _____ Mannes.' (of a man — genitive masculine)
'Mann' is masculine Genitive masculine = eines Answer: 'Das ist das Auto eines Mannes.'
Flashcards
Quick quiz
Q1.What is the nominative masculine indefinite article?
Q2.Complete: 'Sie spricht mit _____ Student.' (a student — dative masculine)
Q3.What changes in accusative feminine indefinite?
Q4.Genitive feminine indefinite article is?
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Common mistakes
Using indefinite articles for plural nouns — Correct: Indefinite articles only exist in singular — use no article for indefinite plural
Treating masculine and feminine indefinite articles the same in all cases — Correct: Masculine 'ein' changes more (einen, einem, eines); feminine 'eine' changes only in dative/genitive (einer)
Confusing masculine 'ein' with neuter 'ein' — thinking they are identical in all cases — Correct: They look the same in nominative/accusative, but differ in dative (einem/einem) and genitive (eines/eines) — actually same, but represent different genders
Forgetting the -en in accusative masculine — Correct: Accusative masculine must be 'einen,' not 'ein'
FAQ
What are German indefinite articles?
Ein, eine, and ein are the German 'a' or 'an'. They change based on gender, case, and number but only exist in singular.
Do indefinite articles have plural forms?
No — indefinite plural does not exist. Use no article for indefinite plural nouns.
Which indefinite article form changes the most?
Masculine: nominative 'ein' becomes accusative 'einen', dative 'einem', genitive 'eines'.
Is 'eine' the same in nominative and accusative?
Yes, feminine nominative and accusative are both 'eine' — the form does not change.