die
the
Definite article that accompanies a feminine noun in the singular nominative or accusative.
EXAMPLE
Die Sonne scheint und ich sehe die Straße.
The sun is shining and I see the street.
die
the
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Meanings
die
the
Definite article that accompanies nouns in the plural nominative or accusative.
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder spielen im Garten.
The children are playing in the garden.
die
who / that
Relative pronoun that introduces a subordinate clause and refers to a feminine noun in the singular or to nouns in the plural.
EXAMPLE
Das sind die Freunde, die ich gestern getroffen habe.
Those are the friends whom I met yesterday.
die
those / that one
Demonstrative pronoun that points to a specific feminine person, thing, or a plural group of people or things.
EXAMPLE
Welche Schuhe gefallen dir? – Die da drüben.
Which shoes do you like? – Those over there.
Usage tips
Same in nominative and accusative
The article 'die' (the) has the same form in the nominative and accusative both for feminine nouns in the singular and for all nouns in the plural. You do not need to change the article in these cases.
EXAMPLE
Die Frau liest ein Buch.
The woman is reading a book.
Singular or plural?
You can tell whether 'die' (the) accompanies a noun in the singular or plural from two things: the form of the noun, for example a plural ending, and the conjugation of the verb.
EXAMPLE
Die Katze schläft.
The cat is sleeping.
Word order in relative clauses
When 'die' (who/that) introduces a relative clause, the conjugated verb always comes at the end of that clause. This applies when it refers to feminine nouns in the singular and to nouns in the plural.
EXAMPLE
Das ist die Frau, die mir geholfen hat.
That is the woman who helped me.
Stressed as a pointing word
When 'die' (that one/those) is strongly stressed, it functions as a demonstrative pronoun to point to specific people or things. It can then also stand alone.
EXAMPLE
Welche Tasche möchtest du? – Ich nehme die da.
Which bag would you like? – I'll take that one there.
Compare with
die vs der
the
Der and die can both refer to a particular noun, but der is used here with a masculine noun in the singular, while die accompanies a feminine noun in the singular. What matters is the noun’s gender and case: der Mann, but die Frau.
die
Die Frau wartet vor dem Bahnhof.
The woman is waiting in front of the train station.
der
Der Mann wartet vor dem Bahnhof.
The man is waiting in front of the train station.
In real life
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