An article is a word which is connected to a noun and defines it more closely. In German, its forms depend on the case, number and gender of the corresponding noun. As in English, there are definite (der/die/das) and indefinite (ein/eine) articles.

The = Der/Die/Das

A/An = Eine/Eine

There are 4 cases in German. For A1, we will mainly look at the nominative and akkusativ cases. We will explore the Dativ case later on

The four cases help to distinguish the elements of a clause (subject, direct and indirect object etc.). To identify the case of one specific word, you ask as follows:

In English ALL NOUNS carry the definite article THE. However, in German, nouns have different declinations.

Der – Maskulin

Die – Female

Das – Neutral

Die – Plural for Maskulin, Female and Neutral