Modern German Grammar: A Practical Guide, Second Edition

22.3 The indefinite article ‘ein’ is declined as follows:

Although the indefinite article has no plural form, the negative form kein ‘no’, ‘not

any’, does:

Nom. keine Acc. keine Dat. keinen Gen. keiner

Below is the same table with boxes drawn to highlight the important patterns. Note

the difference between this table and the table in 22.2: the indefinite article carries no

ending in the masculine and neuter nominative and the neuter accusative:

 See also 13.4 (p. 19), 24.2 (p. 43), 30.3 (p. 55) and^45 (p. 120).

23 Use of the articles

German and English use articles in similar ways. Note, however, the following

exceptions:

23.1 No article is used in German:

(a) With instruments

Er spielt Gitarre.

He plays the guitar (i.e. any guitar).

 For relevant functions see 74.5a (p. 234).

(b) With professions, religions and nationalities following the verbs sein, werden and

bleiben unless an adjective is inserted:

Sie ist Ingenieurin.

She’s an engineer.

Er ist Katholik.

He’s a Catholic.

Masculine Neuter Feminine

Nominative ein ein eine

Accusative einen ein eine

Dative einem einem einer

Genitive eines eines einer

Singular Plural

Masculine Neuter Feminine All genders

Nominative (k)ein (k)ein (k)eine keine

Accusative (k)einen (k)ein (k)eine keine

Dative (k)einem (k)einem (k)einer keinen

Genitive (k)eines (k)eines (k)einer keiner

23

Use of the articles