der Prinz
prince
A male member of a royal or princely family, especially the son of a king or queen.
EXAMPLE
Der junge Prinz wird eines Tages den Thron erben.
The young prince will inherit the throne one day.
der Prinz
prince
der Prinz, die Prinzen
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Meanings
der Prinz
prince
A character in fairy tales who is often portrayed as an ideal, heroic, and charming man.
EXAMPLE
Sie träumt von einem Märchenprinzen, der sie auf einem weißen Pferd abholt.
She dreams of a fairy-tale prince who comes to pick her up on a white horse.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Prinz, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Prinzen |
| genitive | des Prinzen |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Prinz | die Prinzen |
| accusative | den Prinzen | die Prinzen |
| dative | dem Prinzen | den Prinzen |
| genitive | des Prinzen | der Prinzen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Grammar trap: N-declension
'Prinz' (prince) is a weak masculine noun (N-declension). This means it takes the ending '-en' in the genitive, dative, and accusative singular.
EXAMPLE
Die Königin spricht mit dem Prinzen.
The queen is speaking with the prince.
Alle haben den Prinzen sofort erkannt.
Everyone recognized the prince immediately.
Typical collocations
To name the origin or title of a real prince, the preposition 'von' (of/from) is often used, followed by a place or family name.
EXAMPLE
Prinz Charles wurde später König Charles III. von Großbritannien.
Prince Charles later became King Charles III of Great Britain.
The fairy-tale prince
For the idealized figure from fairy tales, the compound word 'der Märchenprinz' (the fairy-tale prince) is used very often. It describes a perfect, heroic man.
EXAMPLE
In vielen Geschichten rettet der Märchenprinz die Prinzessin.
In many stories, the fairy-tale prince rescues the princess.
Compare with
Prinz vs Fürst
prince
Prinz and Fürst are both male members of the nobility, but their positions are different. A Prinz primarily belongs to a royal or princely family, whereas a Fürst is described as a ruler over his own territory. Use Prinz for the family member and Fürst for the ruling nobleman.
Prinz
Der Prinz begrüßte gemeinsam mit seinen Eltern die Gäste im Palast.
The prince welcomed the guests at the palace together with his parents.
Fürst
Der Fürst regierte das kleine Gebiet viele Jahre lang.
The prince ruled the small territory for many years.
In real life
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