der
Ärmel
🧥 What exactly is an 'Ärmel'?
Der Ärmel (noun, masculine) refers to the part of a piece of clothing (like a Hemd (shirt), Pullover (sweater), Jacke (jacket), Kleid (dress)) that covers the arm. Ärmel can have different lengths (kurz - short, lang - long, dreiviertel - three-quarter) and shapes.
It is always der Ärmel (masculine). There are no other articles for this word.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-el → mostly masculine.
1. Caution: many exceptions. 2. there are many -el words, we don't list them all.
🧐 Grammar: Declining 'der Ärmel' correctly
The word "Ärmel" is a masculine noun. Here is its declension:
| Case | Article | Noun | (English Meaning) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Ärmel | (the sleeve) |
| Genitive | des | Ärmels | (of the sleeve) |
| Dative | dem | Ärmel | (to/for the sleeve) |
| Accusative | den | Ärmel | (the sleeve) |
| Case | Article | Noun | (English Meaning) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Ärmel | (the sleeves) |
| Genitive | der | Ärmel | (of the sleeves) |
| Dative | den | Ärmeln | (to/for the sleeves) |
| Accusative | die | Ärmel | (the sleeves) |
📝 Example Sentences
- Der linke Ärmel meiner Jacke hat ein Loch.
(The left sleeve of my jacket has a hole.) - Die Ärmel dieses Pullovers sind mir zu lang.
(The sleeves of this sweater are too long for me.) - Er krempelte sich die Ärmel hoch.
(He rolled up his sleeves.) - Ich habe Kaffeeflecken auf meinem Ärmel.
(I have coffee stains on my sleeve.)
💡 Using 'Ärmel' in Everyday Life
The term Ärmel is mainly used in the context of clothing. You might talk about:
- Kurzarm-/Langarmhemden (short-sleeved/long-sleeved shirts)
- Puffärmel (puff sleeves), Fledermausärmel (batwing sleeves), Raglanärmel (raglan sleeves) (specific sleeve types)
- Ärmellose Tops (sleeveless tops)
A well-known idiom is: "etwas aus dem Ärmel schütteln". This means to do or produce something effortlessly, spontaneously, or off the cuff (literally: 'to shake something out of the sleeve').
Example: "Er schüttelte die Antwort einfach so aus dem Ärmel." (He produced the answer effortlessly / just like that.)
Sometimes "Ärmel" is used metaphorically, e.g., for a protective cover or tube, but this is less common.
🧠 Remembering 'der Ärmel'
Article Mnemonic: Think of der Arm (the arm). The arm goes into its cover, der Ärmel. Both start with 'A' (or 'Ä') and are masculine.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine someone easily shaking an idea out of their sleeve – 'etwas aus dem Ärmel schütteln'. That part of the shirt covering the arm is der Ärmel.
↔️ Related Words: 'Ärmel' & Co.
Synonyms (Similar Terms)
- There isn't a direct, commonly used synonym for "Ärmel" in the sense of the clothing part. You could descriptively say "Armbedeckung" (arm covering), but this is very unusual.
Antonyms (Opposites)
- ärmellos (adjective, meaning sleeveless)
⚠️ Similar but Different Words
- Der Arm: The body part covered by the Ärmel.
- ärmlich: Adjective meaning 'poor', 'shabby', unrelated to sleeves.
😄 A Sleeve Joke
Warum sollte man einem Hemd nie Geheimnisse anvertrauen?
(Why should you never trust a shirt with secrets?)
Weil es immer etwas aus dem Ärmel schütteln könnte!
(Because it might always shake something out of its sleeve!) 😉
✍️ Poetic Sleeves
Ob kurz, ob lang, aus Stoff gemacht,
der Ärmel hält den Arm bei Tag und Nacht.
Mal hochgekrempelt, voller Tatendrang,
mal elegant, den ganzen Abend lang.
Er schützt vor Kälte, Sonne, Wind,
ein treuer Teil, wie jeder find't.
(Whether short or long, made of fabric,
the sleeve holds the arm day and night.
Sometimes rolled up, full of drive,
sometimes elegant, all evening long.
It protects from cold, sun, wind,
a loyal part, as everyone finds.)
❓ Who or What Am I?
Ich gehöre zum Hemd, zur Jacke, zum Kleid,
bedecke den Arm, bin mal kurz und mal weit.
Man kann mich hochkrempeln, wenn's warm wird im Raum,
ohne mich ist ein Pullover oft nur ein Traum.
Wer bin ich?
(I belong to the shirt, the jacket, the dress,
I cover the arm, sometimes short, sometimes wide.
You can roll me up when it gets warm in the room,
without me, a sweater is often just a dream.
Who am I?)
Solution: Der Ärmel (The sleeve)
✨ Trivia about 'der Ärmel'
Word Composition: The word "Ärmel" derives from "Arm" (arm), with the diminutive suffix "-el", which originally indicated a smaller form but here simply denotes the associated part.
Compound Words (Komposita):
- Hemdsärmel: The sleeve of a Hemd (shirt).
- Jackenärmel: The sleeve of a Jacke (jacket).
- Pulloverärmel: The sleeve of a Pullover (sweater).
- Hochkrempelärmel / Krempelärmel: Sleeves designed to be rolled up.
- Ärmelkanal: (Geography) The English Channel (La Manche), the sea arm between Great Britain and France (not directly related to clothing sleeves, but uses the related word 'Arm').
Idiom: "Die Ärmel hochkrempeln" (to roll up one's sleeves) means to prepare for work, to get down to business.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Ärmel?
The German word for 'sleeve' is der Ärmel. It is a masculine noun and refers to the part of a garment that covers the arm. The plural is 'die Ärmel'.