The idea
Use der Freund for the nominative singular, den Freund for the accusative, dem Freund for the dative, and des Freundes for the genitive. In the dative plural use den Freunden.
| Kasus | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Freund | die Freunde |
| Akkusativ | den Freund | die Freunde |
| Dativ | dem Freund | den Freunden |
| Genitiv | des Freundes | der Freunde |
Meaning and useful combinations
Freund can mean a friend or romantic partner depending on context. Ein Freund von mir often clearly introduces one of your friends.
Useful combinations: ein Freund von mir; einen Freund treffen; der Schulfreund. Practise each as a complete phrase; the article belongs to the noun even when an adjective comes between them.
Article check: nominative singular
die Freundder FreundThis check asks for the nominative singular: der Freund. In the meaning taught here, Freund is masculine. The nominative plural is die Freunde. Learn both forms together; an English translation does not determine German gender.
Examples
- Der Freund meines Bruders hilft beim Umzug.My brother's friend helps with the move.
- Ich treffe einen Freund aus dem Sprachkurs.I meet a friend from the language course.
- Mit meinem Freund aus der Schule spiele ich Schach.I play chess with my friend from school.
- Die Wohnung des Freundes liegt über einem Café.The friend's apartment is above a café.
- Meine Freunde planen einen gemeinsamen Ausflug.My friends are planning an outing together.
- Unter den Freunden sind mehrere gute Köche.There are several good cooks among the friends.
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Watch out
Do not transfer the gender of a translated word into German. The basic learning pair is der Freund — die Freunde. Freund can mean a friend or romantic partner depending on context. Ein Freund von mir often clearly introduces one of your friends.
Try it yourself
___ Freund (der / die / das)
Show answer or example answer
der
der: Freund is masculine.
Plural: der Freund → die ___
Show answer or example answer
Freunde
Freunde: the plural has the article die in the nominative and accusative.
Dativ Singular: mit ___ Freund (dem / der)
Show answer or example answer
dem
dem: mit takes the dative, giving mit dem Freund.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
___ Freund (der / die / das)
Plural: der Freund → die ___
Dativ Singular: mit ___ Freund (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 Freund and its forms, then complete the article, plural and dative checks without looking at the table.