der
Artikel
📚 What does "der Artikel" mean?
The German word der Artikel (masculine) has several meanings:
- 📰 Text piece: A written text in a newspaper, magazine, or on a website. Example: Ich habe einen interessanten Artikel über den Klimawandel gelesen. (I read an interesting article about climate change.)
- 📜 Section/Paragraph: A specific section in a law, contract, or document. Example: Artikel 5 des Grundgesetzes garantiert die Meinungsfreiheit. (Article 5 of the Basic Law guarantees freedom of speech.)
- 🛒 Item/Product: A single item that is sold; an entry on a list or invoice. Example: Dieser Artikel ist gerade im Angebot. (This item is currently on sale.) Wie viele Artikel stehen auf Ihrer Einkaufsliste? (How many items are on your shopping list?)
- 🗣️ Grammatical article: A word that accompanies a noun and indicates its genus (gender), number, and case (definite article: der, die, das; indefinite article: ein, eine, ein). Example: Im Satz "Der Hund bellt" ist "Der" der bestimmte Artikel. (In the sentence "The dog barks", "Der" is the definite article.)
⚠️ Pay attention to the context to understand the correct meaning.
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 in Detail: Der Artikel
The noun "Artikel" is masculine (maskulin). Here is its declension (Deklination):
Declension Singular
| Case (Kasus) | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Wer/Was?) | der Artikel | ein Artikel |
| Genitive (Wessen?) | des Artikels | eines Artikels |
| Dative (Wem?) | dem Artikel | einem Artikel |
| Accusative (Wen/Was?) | den Artikel | einen Artikel |
Declension Plural
| Case (Kasus) | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Artikel | keine Artikel / Artikel (no articles / articles) |
| Genitive | der Artikel | keiner Artikel / von Artikeln (of no articles / of articles) |
| Dative | den Artikeln | keinen Artikeln / Artikeln (to/for no articles / to/for articles) |
| Accusative | die Artikel | keine Artikel / Artikel (no articles / articles) |
📝 Example Sentences
- (Text piece) Der Artikel in der Zeitung war sehr aufschlussreich. (The article in the newspaper was very informative.)
- (Section) Wir müssen uns auf den Artikel 10 des Vertrages beziehen. (We must refer to article 10 of the contract.)
- (Item) Haben Sie diesen Artikel auch in einer anderen Farbe? (Do you also have this item in another color?)
- (Grammar) Das Wort "der" ist ein Artikel. (The word "der" is an article.)
- (Plural, items) Die Artikel im Ausverkauf waren schnell vergriffen. (The items on sale were sold out quickly.)
💡 How "der Artikel" is Used
The use of der Artikel heavily depends on its specific meaning:
- Journalism & Writing: Here, "Artikel" clearly refers to a text (synonyms: Bericht, Beitrag, Text). One speaks of newspaper articles (Zeitungsartikel), magazine articles (Zeitschriftenartikel), blog articles (Blogartikel), etc.
- Law & Administration: In laws, contracts, or statutes, "Artikel" denotes a specific paragraph or section (synonyms: Paragraph, Klausel, Bestimmung).
- Commerce & Logistics: Here, "Artikel" stands for a single item, a product, or an entry (synonyms: Produkt, Ware, Posten, Gegenstand). You find it on delivery notes, invoices, and in catalogues.
- Grammar: As a grammatical term, "Artikel" refers to the article (synonyms: Geschlechtswort, Begleiter).
Distinctions:
- A Beitrag can also be oral (e.g., a contribution to a discussion), while an Artikel is usually written.
- A Produkt (product) or Ware (good/ware) are often more specific than the more general term Artikel in commerce.
- A Paragraph (§) is a specific term for a section of law, whereas Artikel is also used in other types of documents.
🧠 Mnemonics for "der Artikel"
Mnemonic for the Gender (der)
Imagine: Der Journalist (the journalist, masculine) writes den Zeitungs-Artikel (the newspaper article) or der Kaufmann (the merchant, masculine) sells den Waren-Artikel (the merchandise item). The actors are often associated with masculine roles, hinting at "der".
Mnemonic for the Meanings
Think: The grammatical article helps us understand the newspaper article about the legal article (section) which regulates the latest fashion article (item). (One sentence linking all meanings).
🔄 Synonyms, Antonyms & Related Words
Synonyms (Similar Words)
- For text piece: Beitrag (contribution, piece), Bericht (report), Text, Aufsatz (essay), Abhandlung (treatise), Schriftstück (document)
- For section/paragraph: Paragraph, Absatz (paragraph), Klausel (clause), Bestimmung (provision), Passus
- For item/product: Produkt (product), Ware (good, merchandise), Erzeugnis (product), Gegenstand (object, item), Posten (item, entry)
- For grammatical article: Geschlechtswort (gender word), Begleiter (companion word)
Antonyms (Opposites)
- For Artikel as a part (e.g., item, text section), the Ganze (whole) or Gesamtheit (entirety) can be considered opposites.
- For Artikel as a text piece: Perhaps Stille (silence) or Nichtvorhandensein von Information (absence of information).
- There's no direct antonym for the grammatical Artikel.
⚠️ Watch out for similar words
😄 A Little Joke
Fragt der Lehrer: "Wer kann mir einen Satz mit 'der, die, das' bilden?"
Meldet sich Fritzchen: "Der Polizist fragt: 'Ist die Kiste für das Diebesgut?'"
Translation:
The teacher asks: "Who can form a sentence with 'der, die, das'?"
Little Fritz raises his hand: "Der (The - masc.) policeman asks: 'Is die (the - fem.) box for das (the - neuter) stolen goods?'"
✒️ Poem about Artikel
Der Artikel, mal groß, mal klein,
passt auf das Nomen auf, so fein.
Mal Text in Zeitungsdruck,
mal Ware, Stück für Stück.
Im Gesetz, da steht er klar,
als Teil, ganz wunderbar.
Ja, "Artikel" ist ein Wort,
an manch verschied'nem Ort.
Translation:
The article, sometimes big, sometimes small,
watches over the noun, so fine.
Sometimes text in newspaper print,
sometimes goods, piece by piece.
In the law, it stands clearly,
as a part, quite wonderfully.
Yes, "Artikel" is a word,
in many different places heard.
🧩 Little Riddle
Ich steh' vor Nomen, zeig' den Fall,
bin in der Zeitung überall.
Im Laden werd' ich oft verkauft,
im Gesetzbuch auch zuhauf.
Was bin ich nur, sag's schnell herbei?
Ich bin maskulin, und eins, zwei, drei...
Translation:
I stand before nouns, show the case,
I'm in the newspaper all over the place.
In the shop, I'm often sold,
In the law book, stories told.
What am I, tell me quickly now?
I am masculine, and one, two, three...
... Der Artikel (The article)
✨ Other Interesting Information
Word Origin: The word "Artikel" comes from the Latin word articulus, meaning "joint", "member", "small part", or "division". This original meaning of "part" or "member" is still reflected in the various meanings today (part of a text, part of a law, part of an assortment).
Compounds (Wortzusammensetzungen): There are many compound words with "Artikel", e.g.:
- Leitartikel: An important editorial or opinion piece in a newspaper.
- Warenartikel: A specific product in commerce.
- Glaubensartikel: A central tenet of a religion or belief.
- Bestimmter/Unbestimmter Artikel: Grammatical terms for definite/indefinite article.
Summary: is it der, die or das Artikel?
The word "Artikel" is masculine. The correct form is: der Artikel. It has multiple meanings, including text piece, legal section, item/product, or grammatical article.