Nouns ending in -ie: die
dieFeminine (die)
Words ending in -ie are almost always feminine.
How reliable is this rule?
In our rule set: Almost always (a few exceptions exist).
In our word lists, nouns ending in -ie that take die: 8 of 10.
Examples ending in -ie
- dieEnergie
energy · pl. Energien
- dieDemokratie
democracy · pl. Demokratien
- dieFantasie
- dieMelodie
- dieGalaxie
- dieHarmonie
Look-alikes: same ending, different article
These nouns end in the same letters but do not take die. Some come from our lists, some are common words we checked by hand. Matching letters alone are not always enough, so check the word.
- dasKnie
knee
- dasGenie
genius
Common questions
- Which article do German nouns ending in -ie take?
- Words ending in -ie are almost always feminine. In our word lists, 8 of 10 of them take die.
- Are there exceptions to the -ie rule?
- In our lists, yes: das Knie, das Genie. Learn these words together with their article.
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