"Enkel" is masculine in German — the correct article is der. The plural is die Enkel (no change). In English, Enkel means "grandson" or "grandchild". The female form is die Enkelin (granddaughter)."Der Enkel" is family vocabulary at A2 level — it describes the child of your son or daughter. In everyday German, "Enkel" can mean both "grandson" and "grandchild" (gender-neutral). If you want to be specific about a granddaughter, use die Enkelin. The counterparts from the other direction are die Oma/der Opa or die Großmutter/der Großvater. Below you'll find the full declension, example sentences, and a quiz.
Gender rule: Male persons are generally masculine in German. The plural of "Enkel" is identical to the singular — die Enkel, no Umlaut, no extra ending. This zero-change plural is typical for masculine nouns ending in -el, just like der Onkel → die Onkel. See all patterns in the German Article Rules.
Enkel — Declension Table
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der Enkel | die Enkel |
| Genitive | des Enkels | der Enkel |
| Dative | dem Enkel | den Enkeln |
| Accusative | den Enkel | die Enkel |
Example Sentences with Enkel
Der Enkel besucht die Großmutter jeden Samstag.
(The grandson visits the grandmother every Saturday.) — Nominative
Die Oma holt den Enkel von der Schule ab.
(Grandma picks up the grandson from school.) — Accusative
Der Opa liest dem Enkel eine Geschichte vor.
(Grandpa reads the grandson a story.) — Dative
Das Lieblingsspielzeug des Enkels ist eine Eisenbahn.
(The grandson's favorite toy is a train set.) — Genitive
Die Enkel kommen in den Ferien zu Besuch.
(The grandchildren come to visit during the holidays.) — Nominative Plural
Die Großeltern haben den Enkeln Geld zum Geburtstag geschenkt.
(The grandparents gave the grandchildren money for their birthday.) — Dative Plural
Related Words & Compounds
Word family (Wortfamilie): die Enkelin (granddaughter), die Großeltern (grandparents), die Großmutter (grandmother), der Großvater (grandfather), die Oma (grandma), der Opa (grandpa)
Common compounds (Komposita): das Enkelkind (grandchild — gender-neutral), der Urenkel (great-grandson/great-grandchild), die Urenkelin (great-granddaughter), die Enkeltochter (granddaughter — less common than Enkelin), der Enkelsohn (grandson — less common than Enkel)
Common Mistake with Enkel
❌ Common mistake: Die Enkels kommen morgen.
✅ Correct: Die Enkel kommen morgen.
💡 Why: The plural of "Enkel" is simply die Enkel — no -s ending. Adding -s is an English habit that doesn't apply here. Unlike die Oma → die Omas and der Opa → die Opas (which do take -s), native German nouns ending in -el keep their form in the plural: der Enkel → die Enkel, der Onkel → die Onkel.
Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Can you get all three right? Apply what you've learned above.
1. Die Oma schenkt ___ Enkel ein Buch.
- A) den Enkel
- B) der Enkel
- C) dem Enkel
Check Answer
"Schenken" requires a dative object (to whom?). Masculine dative = dem: dem Enkel.
2. Die Großmutter vermisst ___ Enkel sehr.
- A) ihr Enkel
- B) ihren Enkel
- C) ihrem Enkel
Check Answer
"Vermissen" takes an accusative object (whom?). The possessive pronoun for masculine accusative is ihren: ihren Enkel. "Ihr" without ending would be nominative, and "ihrem" would be dative. Learn more about pronouns.
3. Er ist ein lieb___ Enkel.
- A) -e
- B) -er
- C) -en
Check Answer
After an indefinite article in the nominative masculine, the adjective ending is -er: ein lieber Enkel. This is because "ein" doesn't show the masculine gender, so the adjective must do it with -er. Compare feminine: eine liebe Enkelin.
Want to practice more nouns like this? The Article Trainer has 600+ nouns — including family vocabulary and zero-change plurals.
More People & Family Nouns
- der Opa — the grandpa
- die Oma — the grandma
- die Großmutter — the grandmother
- der Vater — the father
- die Mutter — the mother
- der Sohn — the son
- die Tochter — the daughter
- die Familie — the family
For more vocabulary, explore the full vocabulary overview or test yourself with the vocabulary quizzes.
Is it der, die, or das Enkel? Practice makes perfect.
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Practice German Articles →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Enkel masculine, feminine, or neuter in German?
Enkel is masculine — the correct article is der. Male family members are generally masculine in German. The female form is die Enkelin (granddaughter). In everyday German, "die Enkel" (plural) is often used as a gender-neutral term for all grandchildren. See all gender rules in the Article Rules.
What is the plural of Enkel?
The plural is die Enkel — the noun stays exactly the same, no Umlaut, no extra ending. Only the article changes from der to die. This is the same zero-change pattern as der Onkel → die Onkel — typical for masculine -el nouns.
What is the difference between Enkel and Enkelkind?
Der Enkel technically means "grandson" but is commonly used as a gender-neutral term for any grandchild. Das Enkelkind is explicitly gender-neutral and means "grandchild" — it's neuter because Kind (child) is neuter. If you specifically mean granddaughter, use die Enkelin.
How do you say great-grandchild in German?
"Great-grandchild" is der Urenkel (great-grandson) or die Urenkelin (great-granddaughter). The Ur- prefix adds one generation — the same prefix used in die Uroma (great-grandma) and der Uropa (great-grandpa).
