Unit 1: Basics
7. The Indefinite Article ein
The German word for “a,” “an,” or “one” is ein, and like the definite article, the various endings it takes can help you identify case, gender, and number of the following noun phrase. Thus, taking the examples Tisch, Feder and Bett, we have in the nominative and accusative cases:
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ein Tisch | eine Feder | ein Bett | keine Tische |
| Accusative | einen Tisch | eine Feder | ein Bett | keine Federn |
There is no plural of ein, obviously, but to use kein- (“no”, “not a”) shows us that the -e ending on indefinite articles can indicate either a plural or feminine status. For example: keine Betten (no beds).
Examples of singular kein-:
Ich habe keine Ahnung.
I have no idea.
Kein Mensch weiß warum.
Nobody knows why.
