der
Morgen
🌅 What does "der Morgen" mean?
Der Morgen (noun, masculine) refers to the first part of the day, the time from sunrise until roughly noon, commonly known as morning. It's the time of waking up and the start of the day.
🚨 Watch out for confusion: The word morgen (lowercase) is an adverb meaning "tomorrow". Der Morgen (uppercase) is always the noun for the time of day (morning).
- Der Morgen: The time of day after the night.
- morgen: The day after today (tomorrow).
Article rules for der, die, and das
Weekdays, months, seasons → almost always masculine.
Caution: see exceptions
-en → mostly masculine.
1. All diminutives with '-chen' are neutral, like 'das Mädchen'. 2. Nouns derived from verbs are always neutral ('das Schrieben'). 3. There are many -en words, we won't list them all.
🧐 Grammar in Detail: Der Morgen
The noun "Morgen" is masculine, so the article is der. It is declined as follows:
Singular Declension
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Morgen |
| Genitive | des | Morgens |
| Dative | dem | Morgen |
| Accusative | den | Morgen |
Plural Declension
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Morgen |
| Genitive | der | Morgen |
| Dative | den | Morgen |
| Accusative | die | Morgen |
Note: The plural "die Morgen" is used less frequently, mostly in poetic or literary contexts.
💡 Example Sentences
- Der Morgen brach klar und kalt an.
(The morning dawned clear and cold.) - Ich liebe den Duft des frischen Kaffees am Morgen.
(I love the smell of fresh coffee in the morning.) - Wir treffen uns jeden Morgen zum Frühsport.
(We meet every morning for early morning exercise.) - Sie genießt die Stille der frühen Morgen. (Plural, rare)
(She enjoys the silence of the early mornings.) - Confusion example: Ich komme morgen vorbei. (Adverb: tomorrow)
(I'll come by tomorrow.)
🗣️ How to use "der Morgen"
"Der Morgen" is primarily used to describe the time of day between sunrise and noon.
- Typical Expressions:
- Guten Morgen! (Good morning! - Greeting)
- am Morgen (in the morning - time specification)
- früh am Morgen (very early in the morning)
- jeden Morgen (every morning)
- des Morgens (Genitive, somewhat more formal/older way of saying 'am Morgen')
- Context: Used in everyday life, literature, weather reports, etc.
- Distinctions:
- Der Vormittag: The time between morning and noon (late morning/forenoon).
- Die Frühe: A synonym for the very early morning.
- Das Morgengrauen: The time just before sunrise (dawn).
- morgen (adverb): Refers to the next day (tomorrow). Example: "Wir sehen uns morgen früh." (We'll see each other tomorrow morning. - Here 'morgen' means tomorrow, and 'früh' modifies it)
🧠 Mnemonics for "der Morgen"
For the article (der): Think of things associated with morning that are masculine in German: DER Wecker (alarm clock), DER Kaffee (coffee), DER Hahn (rooster). They all help you get up in DER Morgen.
For the meaning (time of day vs. next day): Der Morgen (capital M = Noun = time of day) needs an article, like a Man often needs coffee. The lowercase morgen (adverb = next day) often stands alone or at the beginning of a sentence without an article, like a small plan for tomorrow.
↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms for "der Morgen"
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Die Frühe: Emphasizes the early hour of the morning.
- Der Vormittag: Follows the morning (late morning/forenoon), but sometimes used synonymously.
- Das Morgengrauen / Die Morgendämmerung: The time just before/around sunrise (dawn).
- Poetic: Tagesanbruch (daybreak), Morgenstund' (morning hour)
⚠️ Similar Words:
- morgen (adverb): tomorrow. (Ich fahre morgen. - I'm leaving tomorrow.)
- morgens (adverb): in the mornings / every morning. (Morgens trinke ich Kaffee. - I drink coffee in the mornings.)
😄 A Little Joke
DE: Warum summen Bienen am Morgen?
Weil sie den Text nicht kennen!
EN: Why do bees hum in the morning?
Because they don't know the words!
📜 Poem about the Morning
DE:
Der Morgen kommt, ganz leis' und sacht,
hat neues Licht zur Welt gebracht.
Die Vögel singen froh und hell,
die Nacht verging, die Zeit lief schnell.
Ein neuer Tag, was wird er bringen?
Lass uns mit Freude ihn beginnen!
EN:
The morning comes, so soft and slight,
Has brought new light into the world.
The birds sing happy and bright,
The night has passed, time quickly swirled.
A new day, what will it bring?
Let's start it now with joyful spring!
❓ Riddle Time
DE:
Ich komme nach der dunklen Nacht,
hab oft schon Kaffee mitgebracht.
Ich bin der Start in jeden Tag,
ob Sonne scheint, ob Regenmagd.
Wer bin ich?
EN:
I come after the dark night,
Often brought coffee to make things bright.
I am the start of every day,
Whether sun shines or rain holds sway.
Who am I?
Solution: Der Morgen (The Morning)
✨ Other Information
Word Compounds:
"Morgen" is part of many compound words in German:
- Morgengrauen (n): dawn
- Morgendämmerung (f): dawn
- Morgenluft (f): morning air
- Morgenmantel (m): dressing gown / bathrobe
- Morgenmuffel (m): person who is grumpy in the morning
- Morgenröte (f): sunrise glow
- Morgenstern (m): morning star (Venus); also a medieval weapon (mace)
- Morgenzeitung (f): morning newspaper
Cultural Notes:
The phrase "Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund" (literally: Morning hour has gold in its mouth) is a well-known German proverb equivalent to "The early bird catches the worm", emphasizing the benefits of waking up early.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Morgen?
The word "Morgen" referring to the time of day is always masculine: der Morgen (Genitive: des Morgens, Plural: die Morgen). It describes the period from sunrise to late morning. Be careful not to confuse it with the lowercase adverb morgen, which means "tomorrow".