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
German Indefinite Articles: ein and eine
ein and eine are "a" and "an". German also drops the article completely in places English keeps it — with a job, a nationality, or an amount nobody has counted.
ein and eine are "a" and "an". German also drops the article completely in places English keeps it — with a job, a nationality, or an amount nobody has counted.
masculine
↓
ein Mann
der
masculine becomes der. For example: ein.
The video for this lesson is being made. Here is the idea in the meantime.
Watch · 0%
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.