die /
der
Dritte
🧐 What does "Dritte" mean?
The word Dritte is a capitalized noun derived from the ordinal number dritte (*third*). It usually refers to a person or thing that is third in order or considered an outsider.
- die Dritte: Refers to a female person who acts as a third party or outsider in a situation (e.g., in a conflict, a relationship). It can also simply be the female person who is number three in a sequence.
- der Dritte: Refers to a male person acting as a third party or outsider. It can also refer to the third day of a month (e.g., „der Dritte Mai“ - *the third of May*).
🚨 Attention: The lowercase spelling dritte is the adjective (e.g., „die dritte Person“ - *the third person*, „der dritte Versuch“ - *the third attempt*).
Article rules for der, die, and das
-e/-ee → almost always feminine.
There are many -e nouns, many of which are feminine, but there are also some important exceptions.
📊 Grammar in Detail: die/der Dritte
As a noun, "Dritte" follows the weak declension (n-declension) for both masculine and feminine forms.
Die Dritte (feminine)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Dritte | die Dritten |
| Genitive | der Dritten | der Dritten |
| Dative | der Dritten | den Dritten |
| Accusative | die Dritte | die Dritten |
Der Dritte (masculine)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der Dritte | die Dritten |
| Genitive | des Dritten | der Dritten |
| Dative | dem Dritten | den Dritten |
| Accusative | den Dritten | die Dritten |
📝 Example Sentences
- Die Dritte im Bunde wollte nicht mitmachen. (The third one [female] in the group didn't want to join.)
- Er sprach mit der Dritten über das Problem. (He spoke with the third one [female] about the problem.)
- Wir suchen den Dritten Mann für unser Team. (We are looking for the third man for our team.)
- Das Urteil betrifft auch die Rechte des Dritten. (The verdict also affects the rights of the third party [male/neutral].)
- Heute ist der Dritte (Oktober). (Today is the third [of October].)
🚀 How to use "Dritte"?
The usage of "Dritte" highly depends on the context:
- Legal Context: Here, "der Dritte" or "die Dritte" often refers to a person not directly party to a contract or legal dispute but potentially affected by it (e.g., „Schutzwirkung zugunsten Dritter“ - *protective effect for the benefit of third parties*).
- Social Context: In relationships or groups, "der/die Dritte" can denote an outsider, sometimes with a negative connotation (e.g., der "lachende Dritte" - *the laughing third party*, *the one who benefits from the conflict of others*).
- Time References: "Der Dritte" can refer to the third day of a month („Am Dritten des Monats ist Zahltag.“ - *Payday is on the third of the month.*).
- General Use: It simply denotes the person or item in the third position in a sequence.
Distinction:
💡 Mnemonics for "Dritte"
For Article/Gender:
Think: Die Dame (the lady) is die Dritte. (Feminine)
Think: Der Herr (the gentleman) is der Dritte. (Masculine)
For the Meaning (Outsider):
Imagine two people arguing, and the third person (der/die Dritte) stands aside, possibly benefiting – they are number *three* and *outside* the direct conflict.
For the Meaning (Sequence/Day):
After one and two comes drei (three), and the day is der Dritte.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Außenstehende(r): outsider
- Unbeteiligte(r): uninvolved person
- Nächste(r): *next one (in sequence, but not identical in meaning)*
Antonyms (opposite meaning):
- Beteiligte(r): involved person, participant
- Partei / Vertragspartei: party (to a contract or conflict)
- Erste(r), Zweite(r): first one, second one
⚠️ Similar Words (Avoid Confusion):
😄 A Little Joke
Warum sollte man beim Pokern nie einem Stuhl vertrauen?
Weil er immer ein Dritter ist, der versucht, zwischen dich und dein Geld zu kommen!
(Why should you never trust a chair during poker?
Because it's always a third party trying to get between you and your money!)
📜 Poem about the Third
Zwei Herzen schlagen laut im Takt,
Ein Pakt geschlossen, fein gemacht.
Doch leise schleicht, kaum wahrgenommen,
Der Dritte her, ist angekommen.
Mal bringt er Zwist, mal schlichtet er,
Mal lacht er nur, von fern und her.
Ob Mann, ob Frau, ob Tag im Mai,
Der Dritte ist stets mit dabei.
(Two hearts beat loudly in time, / A pact concluded, finely made. / But quietly creeps, hardly noticed, / The Third one here, has arrived. // Sometimes brings strife, sometimes mediates, / Sometimes just laughs, from far and wide. / Whether man, or woman, or day in May, / The Third is always there.)
🧩 Riddle
Ich bin nicht eins, ich bin nicht zwei,
Doch steh' ich oft im Streit dabei.
Mal männlich, mal als Frau bekannt,
Im Kalender werd' ich auch genannt.
Wer bin ich?
(I am not one, I am not two, / Yet often in disputes, I'm there too. / Sometimes male, sometimes known as she, / In the calendar, you'll also name me. // Who am I?)
... Der/Die Dritte (The Third one)
ℹ️ Additional Information
- Word Origin: Derived from Old High German "dritto", ordinal number related to "drī" (*three*).
- Idioms:
- Der lachende Dritte sein: *To be the laughing third party (to benefit from the conflict of two others).*
- Im Bunde der Dritte sein: *To be the third wheel (to be superfluous, intrusive, often in a couple's relationship).*
- Aller guten Dinge sind drei: *All good things come in threes (a common saying, referring to the number three, not directly the noun "Dritte").*
- Cultural Significance: The number three, and thus "der/die Dritte", holds special symbolic meaning in many cultures and fairy tales (e.g., three wishes, three trials).
📝 Summary: is it der or die Dritte?
Use die Dritte for a female person (outsider, number 3 in a sequence) and der Dritte for a male person (outsider, number 3) or the third day of the month. It's the capitalized noun form of the adjective dritte (third).