Bikini is masculine in German — the correct article is der. The plural is die Bikinis. In English, Bikini means bikini.Der Bikini is a common word in German clothing vocabulary. It's typically learned around A2–B1 level and comes up when talking about summer holidays, swimming, or shopping for swimwear. Below you'll find the full declension, example sentences, and a quiz.
Gender rule: Bikini is a loanword — there is no ending-based rule that predicts its gender. The article der must be memorized. Many learners incorrectly assume it's feminine because it's a piece of women's clothing, but grammatical gender has nothing to do with natural gender. See all gender patterns in the Article Rules and a full overview at the German Articles.
Bikini — Declension Table
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der Bikini | die Bikinis |
| Genitive | des Bikinis | der Bikinis |
| Dative | dem Bikini | den Bikinis |
| Accusative | den Bikini | die Bikinis |
Example Sentences with Bikini
Der neue Bikini steht ihr sehr gut.
(The new bikini looks great on her.) — Nominative
Sie hat den Bikini im Sale gekauft.
(She bought the bikini on sale.) — Accusative
In diesem Bikini kann man gut schwimmen.
(You can swim well in this bikini.) — Dative
Die Farbe des Bikinis passt perfekt zum Strandtuch.
(The color of the bikini matches the beach towel perfectly.) — Genitive
Die Bikinis in diesem Geschäft sind sehr teuer.
(The bikinis in this store are very expensive.) — Nominative Plural
Mit den bunten Bikinis waren alle Frauen zufrieden.
(All the women were happy with the colorful bikinis.) — Dative Plural
Related Words & Compounds
Word family (Wortfamilie): Bikini is a loanword (named after the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific) — there is no German word family.
Common compounds (Komposita): das Bikinioberteil (bikini top), die Bikinifigur (bikini body)
Common Mistake with Bikini
❌ Common mistake: Die Bikini ist zu klein.
✅ Correct: Der Bikini ist zu klein.
💡 Why: Many learners assume Bikini is feminine because it's a piece of women's clothing. But in German, grammatical gender is not related to natural gender. Bikini is masculine — the correct article is der. Compare: die Badehose (swim trunks) is feminine even though it's typically worn by men. Always learn the article together with the noun.
Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Can you get all three right? Apply what you've learned above.
1. Zu ___ Bikini passt ein weißes Strandkleid.
- A) der Bikini
- B) dem Bikini
- C) den Bikini
Check Answer
The preposition zu always takes the dative. Masculine dative = dem: dem Bikini.
2. Sie möchte ___ Bikini vor dem Urlaub kaufen.
- A) den Bikini
- B) dem Bikini
- C) der Bikini
Check Answer
"Kaufen" takes an accusative object (what does she want to buy?). Masculine accusative = den: den Bikini.
3. Ein bunt___ Bikini macht gute Laune am Strand.
- A) -en
- B) -er
- C) -es
Check Answer
After the indefinite article ein in the nominative masculine, the adjective ending is -er: ein bunter Bikini. The adjective takes over the gender signal that ein doesn't show.
Want to practice more nouns like this? The Article Trainer has 600+ nouns to drill — including everyday vocabulary. Pick the article, get instant feedback, and stop guessing.
More Clothing Nouns
- der Anzug — the suit
- die Badehose — the swim trunks
- das Hemd — the shirt
- die Hose — the pants
- das Kleid — the dress
- der Mantel — the coat
- der Schuh — the shoe
For more clothing words, check out the German clothing vocabulary list or browse the full grammar overview.
Is it der, die, or das? Practice makes perfect.
The Article Trainer gives you 600+ nouns to drill — including everyday vocabulary. Pick the article, get instant feedback, and stop guessing.
Practice German Articles →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bikini masculine, feminine, or neuter in German?
Bikini is masculine — the correct article is der. This surprises many learners because Bikini is a piece of women's clothing, but grammatical gender in German is not related to natural gender. Compare: die Badehose (swim trunks) is feminine, even though it's typically worn by men.
What is the plural of Bikini?
The plural is die Bikinis. Like many loanwords in German, the plural is formed by adding -s. In the dative plural, no extra -n is added: den Bikinis.
Where does the word Bikini come from?
The word Bikini is named after the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. French designer Louis Réard introduced the two-piece swimsuit in 1946 and named it after the atoll, where nuclear tests had recently taken place. The word is used in both German and English with the same spelling, but in German it takes the masculine article der.
What is the difference between Bikini and Badeanzug?
Der Bikini is a two-piece swimsuit. Der Badeanzug is a one-piece swimsuit. Both are typically worn by Frauen and girls. For men's swimwear, the German word is die Badehose (swim trunks). Notice that der Badeanzug is masculine because der Anzug is masculine — compound nouns always take the gender of their last component.
