"Schulter" is feminine in German — the correct article is die. The plural is die Schultern. In English, Schulter means "shoulder".
Gender rule: die Schulter is feminine. Body part nouns in German have mixed genders — der Rücken, die Schulter, 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.
Die Schulter is an A1 vocabulary word that comes up constantly in everyday German — from sports and injuries to gestures and everyday descriptions. Like all feminine nouns, die Schulter never changes its form in the singular — only the article does. The plural is die Schultern — add -n. Understanding how cases work with feminine nouns like die Schulter is an important step at A1 level. For more body part nouns, also see der Arm and der Rücken.
Schulter — Declension Table
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Schulter | die Schultern |
| Genitive | der Schulter | der Schultern |
| Dative | der Schulter | den Schultern |
| Accusative | die Schulter | die Schultern |
Example Sentences with Schulter
Ihre Schulter ist nach dem Sturz stark geschwollen und schmerzt bei jeder Bewegung.
(Her shoulder is badly swollen after the fall and hurts with every movement.) — Nominative
Er legt die Schulter gegen die schwere Tür und drückt sie auf.
(He puts his shoulder against the heavy door and pushes it open.) — Accusative
Er spürte einen stechenden Schmerz in der Schulter nach dem Aufprall.
(He felt a sharp pain in his shoulder after the impact.) — Dative
Die Muskeln der Schulter wurden beim Schwimmen intensiv trainiert.
(The muscles of the shoulder were intensively trained while swimming.) — Genitive
Seine Schultern sind breit und gut trainiert.
(His shoulders are broad and well-trained.) — Nominative Plural
Nach dem langen Paddeln taten beiden Schultern weh.
(After the long paddling session, both shoulders were aching.) — Dative Plural
Related Words & Compounds
Word family (Wortfamilie):
- schultern — to shoulder / to hoist onto one's shoulder (verb)
Common compounds (Komposita):
- das Schulterblatt — shoulder blade
- das Schultergelenk — shoulder joint
- der Schulterriemen — shoulder strap
- die Schulterlänge — shoulder length (e.g. of hair)
Common Mistake with Schulter
❌ Common mistake: Er hat breite Schulters.
✅ Correct: Er hat breite Schultern.
💡 Why: The plural of die Schulter is die Schultern — not Schulters. The -s plural is rare in German and mostly limited to certain loanwords like das Auto → die Autos. Native German nouns like die Schulter follow standard plural patterns — in this case, add -n: die Schultern.
Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Can you get all three right? Apply what you've learned above.
1. Er spürte einen stechenden Schmerz in ___ Schulter.
- A) die
- B) dem
- C) der
Check Answer
The preposition in can take either accusative (movement into) or dative (location/rest). Here the pain is located in the shoulder — a fixed position — so the dative is required: in der Schulter. For feminine nouns, the dative article is der. Option A) die is the nominative/accusative article for feminine nouns. Option B) dem is the dative article for masculine and neuter nouns.
2. Die Muskeln ___ Schulter wurden beim Schwimmen trainiert.
- A) die
- B) dem
- C) der
Check Answer
"Die Muskeln ___ Schulter" — whose muscles? The shoulder's. This is a possession relationship expressed with the genitive case. For feminine nouns, the genitive article is der — and the noun itself stays unchanged: der Schulter. Option A) die is nominative/accusative. Option B) dem is the dative article for masculine and neuter nouns.
3. Eine steif___ Schulter nach dem Sport ist sehr unangenehm.
- A) -er
- B) -en
- C) -e
Check Answer
After an indefinite article in the nominative with a feminine noun, the adjective ending is -e: eine steife Schulter. The indefinite article eine already carries the feminine nominative signal, so the adjective takes the weak ending -e. Option A) -er is the strong ending for masculine 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
- der Rücken — the back
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 Schulter? 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 Schulter masculine, feminine, or neuter in German?
Schulter is feminine — the correct article is die. 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 Schulter in German?
The plural is die Schultern — add -n. Do not use Schulters — the -s plural is rare in German and does not apply here. In the dative plural, no extra -n is added because the plural already ends in -n: den Schultern.
What is the difference between Schulter and Schulterblatt in German?
Die Schulter refers to the shoulder as a whole — the joint and surrounding area connecting the arm to the torso. Das Schulterblatt refers specifically to the scapula — the flat triangular bone at the back of the shoulder. In everyday German, die Schulter is used in almost all normal contexts; das Schulterblatt appears mainly in anatomical or medical discussions.
Why does die Schulter not change in the singular?
Feminine nouns in German never change their form in the singular — in all four cases, the noun stays Schulter. Only the article changes: die Schulter (nominative/accusative) → der Schulter (genitive/dative). This is an important difference from masculine and neuter nouns, which add -s or -es in the genitive. See the Cases Overview for more detail.
