The idea
Use der Zahn for the nominative singular, den Zahn for the accusative, dem Zahn for the dative, and des Zahnes for the genitive. In the dative plural use den Zähnen.
| Kasus | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Zahn | die Zähne |
| Akkusativ | den Zahn | die Zähne |
| Dativ | dem Zahn | den Zähnen |
| Genitiv | des Zahnes | der Zähne |
Meaning and useful combinations
Zahn changes a to ä and adds e in the plural. Zahn can also name a tooth on a gear.
Useful combinations: die Zähne putzen; ein lockerer Zahn; das Zahnrad. Practise each as a complete phrase; the article belongs to the noun even when an adjective comes between them.
Article check: nominative singular
die Zahnder ZahnThis check asks for the nominative singular: der Zahn. In the meaning taught here, Zahn is masculine. The nominative plural is die Zähne. Learn both forms together; an English translation does not determine German gender.
Examples
- Der Zahn auf der Zeichnung ist stark vergrößert.The tooth in the drawing is greatly enlarged.
- Das Kind zeigt mir seinen ersten ausgefallenen Zahn.The child shows me the first tooth they have lost.
- An dem Zahn des alten Kamms ist eine Ecke abgebrochen.A corner has broken off one tooth of the old comb.
- Die Form des Zahnes ist im Modell gut sichtbar.The tooth's shape is clearly visible in the model.
- Die Zähne des kleinen Zahnrads greifen ineinander.The teeth of the small gear mesh together.
- Zwischen den Zähnen des Kamms hängen Haare.Hairs are caught between the comb's teeth.
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 Zahn — die Zähne. Zahn changes a to ä and adds e in the plural. Zahn can also name a tooth on a gear.
Try it yourself
___ Zahn (der / die / das)
Show answer or example answer
der
der: Zahn is masculine.
Plural: der Zahn → die ___
Show answer or example answer
Zähne
Zähne: the plural has the article die in the nominative and accusative.
Dativ Singular: mit ___ Zahn (dem / der)
Show answer or example answer
dem
dem: mit takes the dative, giving mit dem Zahn.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
___ Zahn (der / die / das)
Plural: der Zahn → die ___
Dativ Singular: mit ___ Zahn (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 Zahn and its forms, then complete the article, plural and dative checks without looking at the table.