German Indefinite Articles: ein and eine
After this lesson you can say “a” and “an” in German, and know when to drop it entirely.
Do this first: der, die, das
Übungen
Eight exercises on what you just watched. Get 80% and the lesson is marked done and added to your A1 progress.
1 / 8 · Type the missing word
2 / 8 · Type the missing word
3 / 8 · Word order
Put the words in the right order.
That is a man.
4 / 8 · Word order
Put the words in the right order.
That is a woman.
5 / 8 · Choose
Which article do der nouns take?
6 / 8 · Choose
Which article do die nouns take?
7 / 8 · Choose
Which article do das nouns take?
8 / 8 · Choose
What is the plural indefinite article?
In short
German "a/an" is ein for masculine and neuter nouns and eine for feminine ones: ein Mann, ein Kind, eine Frau. There is no plural form — you simply drop the article. And German omits it entirely with jobs and nationalities: Ich bin Lehrerin.
How it works
Once you know whether a noun is der, die or das, the indefinite article follows automatically. der and das nouns take ein; die nouns take eine. That is the whole rule in the nominative — two forms, decided by something you already know.
Two things differ from English. First, there is no plural "a" — where English says "some books", German just says Bücher. Second, German drops the article altogether in front of professions and nationalities: Ich bin Arzt, Ich bin Deutsche. Adding it — Ich bin ein Arzt — is the single most common English-speaker error in an introduction.
Worth knowing now: ein changes to einen when the noun is masculine and the object of the sentence — Ich habe einen Bruder. That is the accusative, covered properly in lesson 38. And the whole ein family shares its endings with kein (lesson 33) and with mein, dein and sein (lesson 27), so learning these endings once pays three times.
| Gender | Definite | Indefinite | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | der | ein | ein Mann |
| feminine | die | eine | eine Frau |
| neuter | das | ein | ein Kind |
| plural | die | — (none) | Kinder |
| German | English | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ich bin Lehrerin. | I am a teacher. | professions |
| Er ist Student. | He is a student. | professions |
| Sie ist Österreicherin. | She is Austrian. | nationalities |
| Ich habe Zeit. | I have time. | abstract / uncountable |
| Wir kaufen Brot. | We are buying bread. | uncountable |
| Word | masc. | fem. | neut. |
|---|---|---|---|
| a / an | ein | eine | ein |
| no / not a | kein | keine | kein |
| my | mein | meine | mein |
| your | dein | deine | dein |
Examples
- Das ist ein Mann.That is a man.
- Das ist eine Frau.That is a woman.
- Ich habe ein Kind.I have a child.
- Ich möchte eine Tasse Kaffee.I would like a cup of coffee.
- Wir suchen eine Wohnung.We are looking for a flat.
- Er hat einen Bruder.He has a brother.
- Ich bin Lehrerin.I am a teacher.
- Sie ist Ärztin.She is a doctor.
- Ich kaufe Brot und Milch.I am buying bread and milk.
- Hast du einen Moment?Do you have a moment?
Mistakes to avoid
✗ Ich bin ein Lehrer.
✓ Ich bin Lehrer.
No article with professions. The commonest error in a German introduction, and instantly noticeable.
✗ eine Mann
✓ ein Mann
Mann is der, so it takes ein. The article follows the noun's gender, not its meaning.
✗ eine Kinder (for "some children")
✓ Kinder
There is no plural indefinite article in German. Where English says "some", German usually says nothing.
✗ Ich habe ein Bruder.
✓ Ich habe einen Bruder.
A masculine noun as the object takes einen. That is the accusative — lesson 38.
Wortschatz
The words from this lesson.
| ein | a, an (masculine, neuter) | |
| eine | a, an (feminine) | |
| einen | a, an (masculine object) | |
| die Tasse | cup | |
| die Wohnung | flat, apartment | |
| der Moment | moment | |
| suchen | to look for | |
| brauchen | to need | |
| das Brot | bread | |
| die Milch | milk |
Kulturnotiz
Dropping the article with professions is not just grammar — it reflects how the job is framed. Ich bin Lehrerin states what you are, not that you are one instance of a category. German extends the same logic to nationality and religion: Ich bin Deutsche, Ich bin Katholikin. If you hear a German speaker say "I am a teacher" with a slight emphasis on the "a", this is why.
Common questions
+When do I use ein and when eine?
ein for der and das nouns, eine for die nouns. Look up the gender first and the article follows — there is nothing else to decide in the nominative.
+How do I say "some" in the plural?
Usually by saying nothing: Ich kaufe Äpfel. If you need to stress the quantity you can use einige or ein paar, but the bare plural is the normal form.
+Why is there no article with jobs?
German treats the profession as a description of what you are rather than a category you belong to. Ich bin Arzt, not Ich bin ein Arzt. Same for nationalities.
+What is einen?
The masculine accusative — used when a der noun is the object of the sentence. Ich habe einen Bruder. Lesson 38 covers when and why.