A1-8 · Use der, die and das

In the classroom

Name classroom objects with their articles and understand a few useful classroom instructions.

About 5 minutes to read · 12 quiz questions

Adult students sit at a classroom table with a book, notebook, pen and bag clearly visible.

Learn the article with the object

German nouns have grammatical gender. The definite articles are der, die and das. Learn the article as part of each noun rather than guessing from the object.

Das ist der Tisch.

This is the table.

Das ist der Stuhl.

This is the chair.

Das ist die Tasche.

This is the bag.

Das ist das Buch.

This is the book.

Tisch and Stuhl take der, Tasche takes die and Buch takes das. Nouns begin with a capital letter. The first Das in Das ist is a pointing word, not the article of the noun that follows.

More objects in the room

Use the same articles when asking where an object is. Wo ist means where is. The question does not change the noun’s article in these examples.

Wo ist der Stift?

Where is the pen?

Wo ist das Heft?

Where is the notebook?

Hier ist die Tafel.

Here is the board.

Hier ist die Tür.

Here is the door.

Learn der Stift, das Heft, die Tafel and die Tür. Hier means here. A noun’s gender is a grammatical feature; it does not mean the object is male or female.

Useful classroom phrases

Teachers often use these polite instructions. Learn them as complete phrases for now. You can also ask for repetition.

Hören Sie bitte zu.

Please listen.

Lesen Sie bitte.

Please read.

Schreiben Sie bitte.

Please write.

Bitte noch einmal.

Please, once more.

Bitte makes a request polite. Noch einmal asks for something one more time. You do not need to analyse every verb form yet to use these classroom phrases.

Ready to try it?

Check what you remember with 12 short questions.