The idea
Use die Erbse for the nominative singular, die Erbse for the accusative, der Erbse for the dative, and der Erbse for the genitive. In the dative plural use den Erbsen.
| Kasus | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Erbse | die Erbsen |
| Akkusativ | die Erbse | die Erbsen |
| Dativ | der Erbse | den Erbsen |
| Genitiv | der Erbse | der Erbsen |
Meaning and useful combinations
Erbse adds n in the plural. Erbsensuppe is feminine because Suppe is the final noun.
Useful combinations: frische Erbsen; Erbsen schälen; die Erbsensuppe. Practise each as a complete phrase; the article belongs to the noun even when an adjective comes between them.
Article check: nominative singular
das Erbsedie ErbseThis check asks for the nominative singular: die Erbse. In the meaning taught here, Erbse is feminine. The nominative plural is die Erbsen. Learn both forms together; an English translation does not determine German gender.
Examples
- Die Erbse ist unter den Küchenschrank gerollt.The pea has rolled under the kitchen cupboard.
- Auf dem Teller finde ich noch eine einzelne Erbse.I find one single pea left on the plate.
- Neben der Erbse liegt ein winziges Stück Karotte.A tiny piece of carrot is next to the pea.
- Die Oberfläche der Erbse ist ganz glatt.The pea's surface is completely smooth.
- Die Erbsen werden erst kurz vor Schluss hinzugefügt.The peas are added shortly before the end.
- Mit den Erbsen bekommt der Reis etwas Farbe.The peas add some color to the rice.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic German voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
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Watch out
Do not transfer the gender of a translated word into German. The basic learning pair is die Erbse — die Erbsen. Erbse adds n in the plural. Erbsensuppe is feminine because Suppe is the final noun.
Try it yourself
___ Erbse (der / die / das)
Show answer or example answer
die
die: Erbse is feminine.
Plural: die Erbse → die ___
Show answer or example answer
Erbsen
Erbsen: the plural has the article die in the nominative and accusative.
Dativ Singular: mit ___ Erbse (dem / der)
Show answer or example answer
der
der: mit takes the dative, giving mit der Erbse.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
___ Erbse (der / die / das)
Plural: die Erbse → die ___
Dativ Singular: mit ___ Erbse (dem / der)
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Read the six situations, identify Erbse and its forms, then complete the article, plural and dative checks without looking at the table.