der
Serbe
🌍 What exactly is 'ein Serbe'?
The German word der Serbe refers to a male person who comes from Serbia or holds Serbian citizenship. It's the masculine form for designating inhabitants of Serbia.
The feminine form is die Serbin (the female Serb).
🚨 Attention: Pay close attention to the correct declension (N-declension), especially in the genitive, dative, and accusative singular cases, as well as in the plural.
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 Serbe': The N-Declension
The noun 'der Serbe' belongs to the weak masculine noun declension (N-Deklination). This means it adds the ending -(e)n in all cases except for the nominative singular.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Serbe |
| Genitive | des | Serben |
| Dative | dem | Serben |
| Accusative | den | Serben |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Serben |
| Genitive | der | Serben |
| Dative | den | Serben |
| Accusative | die | Serben |
💬 Examples for clarification
- Der Serbe lebt seit fünf Jahren in Deutschland. (The Serb has been living in Germany for five years. - Nominative Singular)
- Das ist das Auto des Serben. (That is the Serb's car. - Genitive Singular)
- Ich habe dem Serben geholfen. (I helped the Serb. - Dative Singular)
- Kennst du den Serben? (Do you know the Serb? - Accusative Singular)
- Viele Serben arbeiten im Ausland. (Many Serbs work abroad. - Nominative Plural)
🗣️ How to use 'der Serbe'?
'Der Serbe' is used to refer to a male person from Serbia. It is a neutral term indicating origin or nationality.
- Context: Used in conversations about origin, travel, politics, culture, or sports when referring to a male person from Serbia.
- Distinction: The feminine form is 'die Serbin'. The adjective is 'serbisch' (e.g., die serbische Sprache - the Serbian language, serbisches Essen - Serbian food).
- Potential Confusion: Sometimes, the strong declension is incorrectly used (e.g., des Serbes instead of des Serben). Remember the N-declension!
🧠 Mnemonics for 'der Serbe'
Article 'der': Think of 'der Mann' (the man) from Serbia. Many masculine nationality nouns ending in -e take 'der'.
Meaning & Declension: Imagine a Serbe brings you several presents – the 'en' / 'n' ending helps you remember the N-declension!
🔄 Similar and Related Terms
Synonyms (rarely used)
- Mann aus Serbien (Man from Serbia)
- Serbischer Staatsbürger (Serbian citizen, male)
Antonyms (in the sense of origin)
There are no direct antonyms, but examples of other nationalities include:
- der Kroate (the Croat)
- der Bosnier (the Bosnian)
- der Deutsche (the German)
- der Österreicher (the Austrian)
Related Terms
- die Serbin: Feminine form (the female Serb)
- serbisch: Adjective (Serbian, e.g., serbische Kultur - Serbian culture)
- Serbien: The country (Serbia)
😄 A Little Joke
Warum lernen Serben so schnell Deutsch?
Why do Serbs learn German so quickly?
Weil sie schon wissen, wie man 'n' an alles anhängt! 😉
Because they already know how to add an 'n' to everything! 😉 (Referring to the N-declension)
📜 A Little Poem
Ein Serbe kam ins Land herein,
wollte schnell die Sprache sein.
Doch Dativ, Genitiv, Akkusativ,
machten ihm das Lernen tief.
Mit Fleiß und Mut, das ist doch klar,
wird er bald ein Sprach-Star!
A Serb came into the land,
wanted quickly the language at hand.
But dative, genitive, accusative cases,
made learning a deep maze.
With diligence and courage, it's clear,
he'll soon be a language star, no fear!
❓ Little Riddle
Ich komme aus Belgrad oder Niš,
mein Land liegt auf dem Balkan frisch.
Bin männlich, das ist sonnenklar,
die N-Deklination ist für mich wahr.
Wer bin ich?
... Der Serbe
I come from Belgrade or Niš,
my country lies fresh in the Balkans, wish.
I am male, that's clear as day,
the N-declension applies to me, I say.
Who am I?
... The Serb (der Serbe)
💡 Other Notes
- Etymology: The name derives from the country name Serbien (Serbia), which in turn comes from the Slavic tribe of the Serbs.
- Cultural Context: Designations for nationalities should always be used respectfully.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Serbe?
The word 'Serbe', referring to a male person from Serbia, is masculine. The correct article is 'der'. It follows the N-declension (e.g., des Serben, dem Serben, den Serben).