der
Däne
🌍 What does 'der Däne' mean?
Der Däne refers to a male person who comes from Denmark (Dänemark) or holds Danish citizenship.
- It's the masculine form for a person from Denmark.
- The feminine form is die Dänin (the female Dane).
- The plural for mixed groups or groups of men is die Dänen (the Danes).
⚠️ Attention: This noun belongs to the so-called n-Deklination (weak declension), which means it takes an -n ending in most cases except for the nominative singular.
Article rules for der, die, and das
Male characters → always masculine.
Caution: Most professions also have their feminine forms (e.g. die Polizistin). Some words can also have two forms: der/die Deutsche, der/die Kranke.
🧐 Grammar of 'der Däne' in Detail
'Der Däne' is a masculine noun and follows the weak declension (n-Deklination / n-declension).
Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Däne |
| Genitive | des | Dänen |
| Dative | dem | Dänen |
| Accusative | den | Dänen |
Plural
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Dänen |
| Genitive | der | Dänen |
| Dative | den | Dänen |
| Accusative | die | Dänen |
📝 Example Sentences
- Der Däne besucht seine Familie in Kopenhagen.
(The Dane visits his family in Copenhagen.) - Das ist das Fahrrad des Dänen.
(That is the Dane's bicycle.) - Ich gebe dem Dänen die Karte zurück.
(I give the map back to the Dane.) - Wir trafen den Dänen gestern im Park.
(We met the Dane in the park yesterday.) - Die Dänen sind bekannt für ihr Design.
(The Danes are known for their design.)
💡 How to use 'der Däne'?
The term 'der Däne' is used specifically to refer to a male person from Denmark.
- In everyday life: Talking about a person whose origin you know. Example: Mein Nachbar ist ein Däne. (My neighbor is a Dane.)
- In reports/news: Often in contexts related to politics, culture, or sports where nationality is relevant. Example: Ein Däne gewann das Tennisturnier. (A Dane won the tennis tournament.)
- Distinction: It's important to distinguish the masculine form 'der Däne' from the feminine form 'die Dänin' (the female Dane) and the general term for the people 'die Dänen' (the Danes) or the adjective 'dänisch' (Danish) (e.g., dänisches Gebäck - Danish pastry).
Don't confuse 'Däne' with unrelated words. The context usually clearly points to the nationality.
🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids
Article 'der': Think of 'der' Mann (the man) from the North. Many masculine nouns for nationalities use 'der' (der Spanier, der Franzose, der Däne).
Meaning 'Däne': Imagine someone from Denmark saying "It's a Dane fine day!" The word 'Dane' is right there in 'Denmark'.
N-Declension: Remember: Weak masculine nouns (like 'der Däne') often feel weak and need an extra 'n' for support in almost all cases (Genitive, Dative, Accusative singular, and all plural cases).
🔄 Synonyms and Related Terms
Synonyms for 'der Däne':
- Bewohner Dänemarks (männlich) (male inhabitant of Denmark)
- Staatsbürger Dänemarks (männlich) (male citizen of Denmark)
- Mann aus Dänemark (man from Denmark)
Direct antonyms don't really exist for nationalities. You could perhaps say Nicht-Däne (non-Dane).
Related Terms:
- die Dänin: Female person from Denmark.
- die Dänen: Plural, inhabitants of Denmark.
- dänisch: The adjective (e.g., die dänische Flagge - the Danish flag).
- Dänemark: The country, Denmark.
😄 A Little Joke
Fragt ein Tourist einen Dänen: "Entschuldigen Sie, wie komme ich am schnellsten zum Bahnhof?"
Antwortet der Däne: "Sind Sie zu Fuß oder mit dem Auto?"
Tourist: "Mit dem Auto."
Däne: "Das ist am schnellsten!" 😉
Translation:
A tourist asks a Dane: "Excuse me, what's the fastest way to get to the train station?"
The Dane replies: "Are you on foot or by car?"
Tourist: "By car."
Dane: "That's the fastest way!" 😉
📜 Poem about a Dane
Ein Däne, freundlich und froh,
\lebt oben im Norden, irgendwo.
Mit Rad fährt er oft durch Wind und durch Regen,
Hyggelig lebt er auf all seinen Wegen.
Er liebt sein Smørrebrød sehr,
kommt aus Dänemark her.
Translation:
A Dane, friendly and happy,
Lives up north, somewhere maybe.
By bike he often rides through wind and rain,
Living 'hygge' again and again.
He loves his Smørrebrød so dear,
He comes from Denmark, that is clear.
❓ Little Riddle
Ich komme aus dem Land von Andersen und Lego,
bin männlich und spreche 'Hej' statt 'Hello'.
Mein Land hat viele Inseln, groß und klein,
mein Artikel ist 'der', wer kann ich sein?
Translation:
I come from the land of Andersen and Lego,
I'm male and say 'Hej' instead of 'Hello'.
My country has many islands, big and small,
My article is 'der', who am I, after all?
Solution: der Däne (the Dane)
✨ Other Information
Word Origin: The term Däne is directly derived from the country's name 'Dänemark' (Denmark).
Cultural Note: Danes are often known for their relaxed attitude, design sense, and the concept of 'Hygge' (coziness, contentment).
Important: Don't forget the feminine form die Dänin and the n-declension!
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Däne?
The word for a male person from Denmark is der Däne. It is a masculine noun that follows the n-declension (Genitive: des Dänen, Dative: dem Dänen, Accusative: den Dänen). The feminine form is die Dänin, and the plural is die Dänen.