"Rücken" is masculine in German — the correct article is der. The plural is die Rücken — the form is unchanged. In English, Rücken means "back".
Gender rule: der Rücken is masculine. Body part nouns in German have mixed genders — der Rücken, die Nase, das Ohr — so there is no reliable ending-based rule here. The safest approach is always to learn every noun with its article from the start. See all gender patterns in the Article Rules and a full overview at the german articles.
Der Rücken is an A1 vocabulary word that comes up constantly in everyday German — from posture and pain to sport and everyday descriptions. It is a useful example of a masculine noun with a zero plural: the form Rücken stays the same in singular and plural, with only the article changing. Like other masculine nouns ending in -en, the genitive adds only -s: des Rückens. Understanding how cases work with masculine nouns like der Rücken is an important step at A1 level. For more body part nouns, also see der Muskel and der Knochen.
Rücken — Declension Table
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der Rücken | die Rücken |
| Genitive | des Rückens | der Rücken |
| Dative | dem Rücken | den Rücken |
| Accusative | den Rücken | die Rücken |
Example Sentences with Rücken
Sein Rücken schmerzt nach den langen Stunden am Schreibtisch.
(His back aches after the long hours at the desk.) — Nominative
Sie klopft ihm auf den Rücken, um ihn beim Husten zu unterstützen.
(She pats him on the back to help him while he coughs.) — Accusative
Das Kind schläft ruhig auf dem Rücken und atmet gleichmäßig.
(The child sleeps peacefully on its back and breathes steadily.) — Dative
Die Muskeln des Rückens wurden beim Klettern stark beansprucht.
(The muscles of the back were heavily strained during climbing.) — Genitive
Die Rücken der Schwimmer bewegten sich gleichmäßig durch das Wasser.
(The backs of the swimmers moved steadily through the water.) — Nominative Plural
Den Rücken der Schwimmer tat die lange Trainingseinheit deutlich weh.
(The long training session clearly hurt the swimmers' backs.) — Dative Plural
Related Words & Compounds
Word family (Wortfamilie):
- rücklings — on one's back / backwards (adverb)
Common compounds (Komposita):
- die Rückenschmerzen (plural) — back pain
- die Rückenlehne — backrest
- das Rückgrat — spine / backbone (also used figuratively for courage)
- die Rückenmassage — back massage
Common Mistake with Rücken
❌ Common mistake: Den Arbeitnehmern tun die Rückens weh.
✅ Correct: Den Arbeitnehmern tun die Rücken weh.
💡 Why: The plural of der Rücken is die Rücken — the noun does not change at all. The -s plural is rare in German and does not apply to native nouns ending in -en. Only the article changes: der Rücken → die Rücken. In practice, der Rücken is almost always used in the singular — the plural appears mainly in specific descriptive or comparative contexts.
Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Can you get all three right? Apply what you've learned above.
1. Das Kind schläft auf ___ Rücken und atmet ruhig.
- A) den
- B) des
- C) dem
Check Answer
The preposition auf can take either accusative (movement toward) or dative (location/rest). The child is sleeping — a fixed position, no movement — so the dative is required: auf dem Rücken. For masculine nouns, the dative article is dem. Option A) den is accusative. Option B) des is genitive.
2. Die Muskeln ___ Rückens wurden beim Sport stark beansprucht.
- A) dem
- B) der
- C) des
Check Answer
"Die Muskeln ___ Rückens" — whose muscles? The back's. This is a possession relationship expressed with the genitive case. For masculine nouns, the genitive article is des and the noun adds -s: des Rückens. Option A) dem is dative. Option B) der is the genitive article for feminine nouns.
3. Ein steif___ Rücken nach dem Schlafen ist sehr unangenehm.
- A) -e
- B) -en
- C) -er
Check Answer
After an indefinite article in the nominative with a masculine noun, the adjective ending is -er: ein steifer Rücken. Because ein does not carry a visible masculine signal in the nominative (it looks the same as neuter ein), the adjective must carry the gender signal — this is the strong ending -er. Option A) -e is used after a definite article in the nominative. Option B) -en is the weak ending used in most other case-gender combinations.
Want to drill more nouns like this? The Article Trainer gives you 600+ nouns to practice — pick the article, get instant feedback, and stop guessing.
More Body Part Nouns
- der Arm — the arm
- der Bauch — the belly / stomach
- das Bein — the leg
- der Finger — the finger
- das Gesicht — the face
- der Hals — the neck / throat
- die Hand — the hand
- das Herz — the heart
- die Haut — the skin
- das Knie — the knee
- der Knochen — the bone
- der Kopf — the head
- der Muskel — the muscle
- die Nase — the nose
- das Ohr — the ear
For the full list with articles and plurals, see the Body Parts Vocabulary page. You can also browse more topic-based word lists in the German Vocabulary Overview and test yourself with the Vocabulary Quizzes.
Is it der, die, or das Rücken? Practice makes perfect.
The Article Trainer gives you 600+ nouns to drill — from everyday vocabulary to family, food, and much more. Pick the article, get instant feedback, and stop guessing.
Practice German Articles →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rücken masculine, feminine, or neuter in German?
Rücken is masculine — the correct article is der. Body part nouns in German have mixed genders, so there is no reliable rule to predict them. The best habit is always to learn every noun with its article from the start. For a full overview of gender patterns, see the Article Rules.
What is the plural of Rücken in German?
The plural is die Rücken — the noun itself does not change. This is the zero plural, typical for masculine nouns ending in -en. Only the article changes: der Rücken (singular) → die Rücken (plural). In the dative plural, no extra -n is added because the plural already ends in -en: den Rücken.
What is the difference between Rücken and Rückgrat in German?
Der Rücken refers to the back as a whole — the entire rear surface of the torso. Das Rückgrat refers specifically to the spine or backbone — the column of vertebrae running through the back. In figurative German usage, Rückgrat haben (to have backbone) means to have courage or moral strength — just as in English. In everyday medical or anatomical contexts, the two words are not interchangeable.
What is the genitive of der Rücken?
The genitive singular is des Rückens — add -s. This is the standard pattern for masculine nouns ending in -en. The genitive plural is der Rücken — unchanged. See the Cases Overview for more detail.
