"Arm" is masculine in German — the correct article is der. The plural is die Arme. In English, Arm means "arm".
Gender rule: der Arm is masculine. There is no single rule that covers all body part nouns — German body part nouns have mixed genders (die Hand, das Knie, der Finger). The best strategy is always to learn every noun together with its article from day one. See all gender patterns in the Article Rules and a full overview at the german articles.
Der Arm is an A1 vocabulary word and one of the first body part nouns German learners encounter. It appears in everyday contexts — from describing an injury to gesturing in conversation — and is a useful example for the masculine declension pattern with a short, clean plural. This article covers the full declension, example sentences, word family, a common mistake, and a quiz. For a broader look at body vocabulary, see the Body Parts Vocabulary list.
Arm — Declension Table
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der Arm | die Arme |
| Genitive | des Armes | der Arme |
| Dative | dem Arm | den Armen |
| Accusative | den Arm | die Arme |
Example Sentences with Arm
Sein linker Arm steckt nach dem Sturz in einem Gips.
(His left arm is in a cast after the fall.) — Nominative
Sie hebt den Arm, um eine Frage zu stellen.
(She raises her arm to ask a question.) — Accusative
Das Baby liegt ruhig in ihrem Arm und schläft.
(The baby lies quietly in her arm and sleeps.) — Dative
Die Muskeln des Armes werden beim Klettern stark beansprucht.
(The muscles of the arm are heavily strained when climbing.) — Genitive
Ihre Arme sind nach dem langen Schwimmen schwer und müde.
(Her arms are heavy and tired after the long swim.) — Nominative Plural
Mit den Armen weit ausgestreckt begrüßte er die Menge.
(With his arms stretched out wide, he greeted the crowd.) — Dative Plural
Related Words & Compounds
Word family (Wortfamilie):
- das Ärmchen — little arm (diminutive)
- der Ärmel — sleeve (derived from Arm)
Common compounds (Komposita):
- das Armband — bracelet / armband
- die Armlehne — armrest
- die Armbeuge — crook of the arm
- der Armreif — bangle / arm ring
Common Mistake with Arm
❌ Common mistake: Er hat zwei Arms gebrochen.
✅ Correct: Er hat zwei Arme gebrochen.
💡 Why: The plural of der Arm is die Arme — not Arms. The -s plural is rare in German and mostly limited to certain loanwords like das Auto → die Autos. Native German nouns like der Arm follow standard plural patterns — in this case, simply add -e: die Arme.
Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Can you get all three right? Apply what you've learned above.
1. Ich strecke ___ Arm aus, um zu winken.
- A) der Arm
- B) den Arm
- C) dem Arm
Check Answer
The verb strecken (to stretch/extend) takes a direct object — what do you stretch? Your arm. Direct objects use the accusative case. For masculine nouns, the accusative article is den: den Arm. Option A) der is nominative, option C) dem is dative.
2. Die Muskeln ___ Armes sind nach dem Training erschöpft.
- A) des
- B) der
- C) dem
Check Answer
"Die Muskeln ___ Armes" — whose muscles? The arm's. This expresses possession, which requires the genitive case. For masculine nouns, the genitive article is des and the noun adds -es: des Armes. Option B) der is the genitive article for feminine nouns. Option C) dem is dative.
3. Er hat einen kräftig___ Arm.
- A) -er
- B) -en
- C) -e
Check Answer
After an indefinite article in the accusative, masculine nouns take the adjective ending -en: einen kräftigen Arm. The indefinite article einen already signals masculine accusative, so the adjective takes the weak ending -en. Option A) -er is used after no article (strong inflection). Option C) -e applies in the nominative after a definite article.
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
- die Hand — the hand
- der Finger — the finger
- der Kopf — the head
- die Schulter — the shoulder
- das Bein — the leg
- das Knie — the knee
- der Rücken — the back
For the full list with articles and plurals, see the Body Parts Vocabulary page. You can also find more topic-based word lists in the German Vocabulary Overview and test yourself with the Vocabulary Quizzes.
Is it der, die, or das Arm? Practice makes perfect.
The Article Trainer gives you 600+ nouns to drill — from everyday vocabulary to grammar classics. Pick the article, get instant feedback, and stop guessing.
Practice German Articles →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Arm masculine, feminine, or neuter in German?
Arm is masculine — the correct article is der. There is no single gender rule that covers all body part nouns, so the best approach is to always learn a noun together with its article from the start. For a full overview of gender patterns, see the Article Rules.
What is the plural of Arm in German?
The plural is die Arme — simply add -e. Do not use Arms — the -s plural is rare in German and does not apply here. In the dative plural, an extra -n is added: den Armen.
How do you say "arm" in German?
The word for arm in German is der Arm. Note that arm (lowercase) is also a German adjective meaning "poor" — but the noun der Arm (body part) is always written with a capital letter, as all German nouns are. Context makes the meaning clear in every case.
What is the genitive of der Arm?
The genitive singular of der Arm is des Armes — the shorter form des Arms is equally correct standard German. Masculine and neuter nouns add -es or -s in the genitive singular, which is a key difference from feminine nouns, which do not change in the genitive at all. See the Cases Overview for more detail.
