A1 · Section 4

The Article, and the Article That Is Not There

Where German puts a definite article that English leaves out, which country names carry one, the forms and work of ein, and the contexts in which a German noun stands with no article at all.

The article with a noun meant as a class

42.A noun standing for a whole class takes the definite article in German, where English uses a bare plural. The singular with der/die/das and the plural with die are both current.

Die Tanne ist ein Nadelbaum.: The fir is a conifer.
Die Tannen sind Nadelbäume.: Firs are conifers.
Das Auto ist der Fluch der modernen Stadt.: Cars are the curse of modern cities.

The article with abstract nouns

43.An abstract noun referred to as a definite whole takes the definite article, where English has none.

Er liebte die Demokratie.: He loved democracy.
Er fürchtet das Alter.: He is afraid of old age.
Die Zeit vergeht.: Time passes.

The article with country names

44.Most country names take no article. Feminine and plural names always take one, and a few masculine names take one optionally.

Deutschland: Germany — no article
Spanien: Spain — no article
die Schweiz: Switzerland — feminine
die Türkei: Turkey — feminine
die USA: the USA — plural
die Niederlande: the Netherlands — plural
(der) Iran: Iran — masculine; the article is optional

Country names and the article
Type	Article	Examples
neuter names	none	Deutschland, Norwegen, Spanien
feminine names	always	die Schweiz, die Türkei, die Ukraine
plural names	always	die USA, die Niederlande
masculine names	usual but optional	(der) Iran, (der) Libanon

No article with a profession or a nationality

45.After sein, werden and bleiben, a noun naming a profession, a nationality or a class of people stands with no article, where English has a.

Er ist Arzt.: He is a doctor.
Sie ist Ärztin.: She is a doctor.
Hans ist Bäcker.: Hans is a baker.
Petra ist Schweizerin.: Petra is Swiss.
Ich bin Deutscher.: I am a German.
Danach wurde er Marxist.: After that he became a Marxist.

[1] An article returns as soon as the noun is qualified and names an individual rather than a class — Sie ist eine bekannte Anwältin ‘she is a well-known lawyer’.
[2] The names of the months and the seasons also stand without an article after sein — Jetzt ist Sommer, Es war schon April.

No article with a mass noun

46.A noun naming a substance or an abstract idea taken in a vague, partial sense stands with no article. English can usually insert some or any in front of the same noun.

Ich esse gern Fleisch.: I like eating meat.
Kannst du mir Geld leihen?: Can you lend me (some) money?
Zu dieser Aufgabe gehört Mut.: This task demands (some) courage.
Bewegung ist gesund.: Exercise is healthy.

No article with an indefinite plural

47.A plural noun meant indefinitely stands with no article. The same plural with die in front of it presents the class as a whole instead (¶42).

Da waren Studenten.: There were students there.
Tannen sind Nadelbäume.: Firs are conifers.
Ich kaufe Äpfel.: I am buying apples.
Sachen: things

[1] Fixed pairs of nouns keep no article either — Haus und Hof, Mann und Maus.

The forms of the indefinite article

48.The indefinite article is ein with a masculine noun, eine with a feminine one, and ein again with a neuter one. Masculine and neuter share the one form, so ein on its own does not tell the two apart the way der and das do (¶25).

ein Tisch: a table — masculine
eine Wand: a wall — feminine
ein Fenster: a window — neuter

The two articles side by side, nominative
Gender	Indefinite	Definite
masculine	ein	der
feminine	eine	die
neuter	ein	das
plural	— (no form)	die

The definite article distinguishes all three genders; the indefinite one collapses masculine and neuter.

What the two articles do

49.The indefinite article introduces something the hearer has not met yet; the definite article takes up something already identified. A thing named with ein the first time is named with der, die or das the second.

Ich sehe ein Haus. Das Haus ist alt.: I see a house. The house is old.
Da ist eine Frau. Die Frau wartet.: There is a woman. The woman is waiting.

The indefinite article has no plural

50.There is no plural form of ein: the plural of ein Buch is Bücher, standing with no article at all (¶47). The bare noun is also what German uses where English says some or any.

ein Buch — Bücher: a book — books
Ich möchte Suppe.: I should like some soup.
Hast du Geld bei dir?: Have you got any money on you?
Ich habe Äpfel gekauft.: I bought some apples.

Vocabulary

Schweiz: Switzerland · noun; die Schweiz, die Schweiz, der Schweiz, der Schweiz, —; Feminine, and always with the article: die Schweiz (¶44). A country name has no plural.
Türkei: Turkey · noun; die Türkei, die Türkei, der Türkei, der Türkei, —; Feminine, and always with the article: die Türkei (¶44). A country name has no plural.
Deutschland: Germany · noun; Deutschlands, —; Neuter, and used without an article (¶44), so no case but the genitive is marked on it. A country name has no plural.
Fleisch: meat · noun; das Fleisch, das Fleisch, dem Fleisch, des Fleisches, —; A mass noun (¶46), with no plural in ordinary use.
Geld: money · noun; das Geld, das Geld, dem Geld, des Geldes, die Gelder; The plural die Gelder means 'funds, monies', not 'more than one coin'.
Zeit: time · noun; die Zeit, die Zeit, der Zeit, der Zeit, die Zeiten
Arzt: doctor · noun; der Arzt, den Arzt, dem Arzt, des Arztes, die Ärzte
Bäcker: baker · noun; der Bäcker, den Bäcker, dem Bäcker, des Bäckers, die Bäcker
Student: student · noun; der Student, den Studenten, dem Studenten, des Studenten, die Studenten; A weak masculine: it takes -en in every case but the nominative singular.

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