"Schwester" is feminine in German — the correct article is die. The plural is die Schwestern. In English, Schwester means "sister"."Die Schwester" is core family vocabulary at A1 level — the counterpart to der Bruder (brother). While most family nouns ending in -er form their plural with an Umlaut (Väter, Mütter, Brüder, Töchter), "Schwester" is different: it simply adds -n and stays Umlaut-free. Below you'll find the full declension, example sentences, and a quiz.
Gender rule: Female persons are generally feminine in German. Like die Mutter and die Tochter, "Schwester" ends in -er but is still feminine because the "female person" rule takes priority. The plural adds -n: Schwester → Schwestern — no Umlaut needed. See all patterns in the German Article Rules.
Schwester — Declension Table
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Schwester | die Schwestern |
| Genitive | der Schwester | der Schwestern |
| Dative | der Schwester | den Schwestern |
| Accusative | die Schwester | die Schwestern |
Example Sentences with Schwester
Die Schwester studiert Medizin in Berlin.
(The sister is studying medicine in Berlin.) — Nominative
Ich vermisse die Schwester sehr.
(I miss the sister a lot.) — Accusative
Er gibt der Schwester einen guten Rat.
(He gives the sister good advice.) — Dative
Das Zimmer der Schwester ist immer ordentlich.
(The sister's room is always tidy.) — Genitive
Die Schwestern telefonieren jeden Abend.
(The sisters call each other every evening.) — Nominative Plural
Die Mutter hat den Schwestern die gleichen Ohrringe geschenkt.
(The mother gave the sisters the same earrings.) — Dative Plural
Related Words & Compounds
Word family (Wortfamilie): der Bruder (brother), die Geschwister (siblings — plural only), schwesterlich (sisterly — adjective), die Schwesterlichkeit (sisterliness)
Common compounds (Komposita): die Halbschwester (half-sister), die Stiefschwester (stepsister), die Zwillingsschwester (twin sister), die Krankenschwester (nurse — literally "sick sister"), die Ordensschwester (nun — literally "order sister")
Common Mistake with Schwester
❌ Common mistake: Ich habe zwei Schwester.
✅ Correct: Ich habe zwei Schwestern.
💡 Why: Unlike der Bruder → die Brüder, die Mutter → die Mütter, and die Tochter → die Töchter, "Schwester" does not get an Umlaut in the plural. It simply adds -n: die Schwestern. Not every -er noun follows the Umlaut pattern.
Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Can you get all three right? Apply what you've learned above.
1. ___ Schwester kommt morgen zu Besuch.
- A) Der
- B) Die
- C) Das
Check Answer
"Die Schwester" — Female persons are generally feminine in German. In the nominative, the article is die. Don't be confused by the -er ending.
2. Er schreibt ___ Schwester einen langen Brief.
- A) die Schwester
- B) der Schwester
- C) den Schwester
Check Answer
"Schreiben" with a person requires a dative object (to whom?). Feminine dative = der: der Schwester. The noun itself doesn't change.
3. Sie hat eine jünger___ Schwester.
- A) -e
- B) -er
- C) -en
Check Answer
After an indefinite article in the accusative feminine, the adjective ending is -e: eine jüngere Schwester. Feminine accusative = feminine nominative — both use -e after ein/eine.
Want to practice more nouns like this? The Article Trainer has 600+ nouns — including family vocabulary and common feminine nouns.
More People & Family Nouns
- der Bruder — the brother
- der Vater — the father
- die Mutter — the mother
- der Sohn — the son
- die Tochter — the daughter
- das Kind — the child
- der Junge — the boy
- das Mädchen — the girl
For more A1 vocabulary, explore the full vocabulary overview or test yourself with the vocabulary quizzes.
Is it der, die, or das Schwester? Practice makes perfect.
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Practice German Articles →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Schwester masculine, feminine, or neuter in German?
Schwester is feminine — the correct article is die. Female persons are generally feminine in German, regardless of the noun ending. Even though "Schwester" ends in -er, the "female person" rule takes priority — just like die Mutter and die Tochter. See all gender rules in the Article Rules.
What is the plural of Schwester?
The plural is die Schwestern — simply add -n, no Umlaut. This makes "Schwester" the exception among family -er nouns: Bruder → Brüder, Vater → Väter, Mutter → Mütter, and Tochter → Töchter all get an Umlaut, but Schwester does not.
What does Krankenschwester mean?
Die Krankenschwester means "nurse" — literally "sick sister." It's one of the most well-known German compounds with "Schwester." The word comes from the tradition of nuns (Schwestern) caring for the sick. In modern German, the gender-neutral term die Pflegekraft or der/die Pflegende is increasingly used, but Krankenschwester remains common in everyday language.
How do you say sister-in-law in German?
"Sister-in-law" is die Schwägerin (plural: die Schwägerinnen). It's derived from der Schwager (brother-in-law) with the feminine ending -in. Like all nouns ending in -in, it's always feminine and forms the plural with -nen.
