The idea
Use der Finger for the nominative singular, den Finger for the accusative, dem Finger for the dative, and des Fingers for the genitive. In the dative plural use den Fingern.
| Kasus | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Finger | die Finger |
| Akkusativ | den Finger | die Finger |
| Dativ | dem Finger | den Fingern |
| Genitiv | des Fingers | der Finger |
Meaning and useful combinations
Finger has an unchanged plural. The dative plural adds n: mit den Fingern.
Useful combinations: mit dem Finger zeigen; die Finger bewegen; der Zeigefinger. Practise each as a complete phrase; the article belongs to the noun even when an adjective comes between them.
Article check: nominative singular
die Fingerder FingerThis check asks for the nominative singular: der Finger. In the meaning taught here, Finger is masculine. The nominative plural is die Finger. Learn both forms together; an English translation does not determine German gender.
Examples
- Der Finger auf dem Bild zeigt auf die falsche Zeile.The finger in the picture points to the wrong line.
- Ich lege einen Finger auf die nächste Station der Karte.I place a finger on the next stop on the map.
- Mit dem Finger zeichne ich einen Kreis in den Sand.I draw a circle in the sand with my finger.
- Die Spitze des Fingers ist mit Farbe bedeckt.The fingertip is covered with paint.
- Die Finger der Handschuhe sind zu lang.The glove fingers are too long.
- Zwischen den Fingern hält sie eine dünne Nadel.She holds a thin needle between her fingers.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic German voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No German device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
Do not transfer the gender of a translated word into German. The basic learning pair is der Finger — die Finger. Finger has an unchanged plural. The dative plural adds n: mit den Fingern.
Try it yourself
___ Finger (der / die / das)
Show answer or example answer
der
der: Finger is masculine.
Plural: der Finger → die ___
Show answer or example answer
Finger
Finger: the plural has the article die in the nominative and accusative.
Dativ Singular: mit ___ Finger (dem / der)
Show answer or example answer
dem
dem: mit takes the dative, giving mit dem Finger.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
___ Finger (der / die / das)
Plural: der Finger → die ___
Dativ Singular: mit ___ Finger (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 Finger and its forms, then complete the article, plural and dative checks without looking at the table.