Definite article 'den' (the, masculine, accusative)
Bestimmter Artikel 'den' (maskulin, Akkusativ)
'den' is the of masculine 'der' - the only definite that changes.
Structure
den + maskulines Nomen (Akkusativ)
den + masculine noun (accusative)
Details
- Part of Speech
- Article
- Word Type
- Definite article
- Register
- Standard
Explanation
'den' is the accusative form of masculine 'der'. It is the only definite that changes between the and the - die, das and die all stay the same.
Use den when a masculine noun is the direct object of the sentence (the thing the action happens to):
- Ich sehe den Mann. - I see the man.
- Ich kaufe den Tisch. - I am buying the table.
- Ich brauche den Schlüssel. - I need the key.
Compare and :
- (): Der Mann arbeitet hier. - The man works here.
- (): Ich kenne den Mann. - I know the man.
A simple test: ask "Wen oder was?" ("Whom or what?") after the . Ich sehe - wen? - den Mann.
Common mistakes:
- Leaving the form: Ich sehe der Mann is wrong; it must be Ich sehe den Mann.
- Applying den to feminine, neuter, or nouns - they do not change (die Lampe, das Buch, die Äpfel).
About Definite article 'den' (the, masculine, accusative)
'den' is the of masculine 'der' - the only definite that changes.
of masculine 'der'; the only definite that changes form.
'den' ist der von 'der' - der einzige bestimmte , der sich ändert.
Caution
Only the masculine changes: der → den. Use it for the masculine direct object (Ich sehe den Mann).