"Bruder" is masculine in German — the correct article is der. The plural is die Brüder (with Umlaut). In English, Bruder means "brother"."Der Bruder" is core family vocabulary at A1 level — one of the first words you'll learn when talking about siblings. The gender is straightforward (male person = masculine), and the declension follows a standard pattern. The only tricky part is the Umlaut in the plural: Brüder, not "Bruders." Below you'll find the full declension, example sentences, and a quiz.
Gender rule: Male persons are generally masculine in German. However, diminutive suffixes like -chen and -lein override this — which is why it's das Männchen (little man), not der Männchen. The plural adds an Umlaut (u → ü) but no extra ending: Bruder → Brüder. This is the same Umlaut-only pattern as der Vater → die Väter. See all patterns in the German Article Rules.
Bruder — Declension Table
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der Bruder | die Brüder |
| Genitive | des Bruders | der Brüder |
| Dative | dem Bruder | den Brüdern |
| Accusative | den Bruder | die Brüder |
Example Sentences with Bruder
Der Bruder wohnt in München.
(The brother lives in Munich.) — Nominative
Ich besuche den Bruder am Sonntag.
(I'm visiting the brother on Sunday.) — Accusative
Sie schenkt dem Bruder eine Uhr zum Geburtstag.
(She gives the brother a watch for his birthday.) — Dative
Das Fahrrad des Bruders steht vor der Tür.
(The brother's bicycle is in front of the door.) — Genitive
Die Brüder sehen sich nur selten.
(The brothers rarely see each other.) — Nominative Plural
Die Eltern haben den Brüdern das gleiche Geschenk gekauft.
(The parents bought the brothers the same gift.) — Dative Plural
Related Words & Compounds
Word family (Wortfamilie): die Schwester (sister), die Geschwister (siblings — plural only), brüderlich (brotherly — adjective), die Brüderlichkeit (brotherhood/fraternity), verbrüdern (to fraternize — verb)
Common compounds (Komposita): der Halbbruder (half-brother), der Stiefbruder (stepbrother), der Zwillingsbruder (twin brother), der Schwagerbruder (brother-in-law — informal, standard: der Schwager)
Common Mistake with Bruder
❌ Common mistake: Ich habe zwei Bruders.
✅ Correct: Ich habe zwei Brüder.
💡 Why: The plural of "Bruder" is die Brüder — with an Umlaut (u → ü), not with an -s ending. Adding -s is an English habit that doesn't work here. The same Umlaut-only pattern applies to der Vater → die Väter and die Mutter → die Mütter.
Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Can you get all three right? Apply what you've learned above.
1. ___ Bruder ist Ingenieur.
- A) Die
- B) Das
- C) Der
Check Answer
"Der Bruder" — Male persons are generally masculine in German. In the nominative, the article is der.
2. Die Schwester hilft ___ Bruder bei den Hausaufgaben.
- A) den Bruder
- B) dem Bruder
- C) der Bruder
Check Answer
"Helfen" always requires a dative object (whom do you help?). Masculine dative = dem: dem Bruder.
3. Er hat einen älter___ Bruder.
- A) -e
- B) -er
- C) -en
Check Answer
After an indefinite article in the accusative masculine, the adjective ending is -en: einen älteren Bruder. This is because masculine accusative is the one case where indefinite articles change (ein → einen), and the adjective always takes -en.
Want to practice more nouns like this? The Article Trainer has 600+ nouns — including family vocabulary and Umlaut plurals.
More People & Family Nouns
- die Schwester — the sister
- der Vater — the father
- die Mutter — the mother
- der Sohn — the son
- die Tochter — the daughter
- das Kind — the child
- der Junge — the boy
- das Mädchen — the girl
For more A1 vocabulary, explore the full vocabulary overview or test yourself with the vocabulary quizzes.
Is it der, die, or das Bruder? Practice makes perfect.
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Practice German Articles →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bruder masculine, feminine, or neuter in German?
Bruder is masculine — the correct article is der. Male family members are generally masculine in German: der Bruder, der Vater, der Sohn, der Onkel. Be aware that diminutive suffixes like -chen and -lein override this and make the noun neuter (das Brüderchen). See all gender rules in the Article Rules.
What is the plural of Bruder?
The plural is die Brüder — the vowel changes from u to ü (Umlaut), but no ending is added. This is the same Umlaut-only pattern as der Vater → die Väter, die Mutter → die Mütter, and die Tochter → die Töchter.
How do you say siblings in German?
"Siblings" is die Geschwister — a plural-only noun (there is no singular form). It covers brothers and sisters together. For example: "Ich habe drei Geschwister" (I have three siblings). If you want to specify, use der Bruder (brother) and die Schwester (sister) individually.
How do you say brother-in-law in German?
"Brother-in-law" is der Schwager (plural: die Schwäger — with Umlaut). Unlike "Schwiegertochter" or "Schwiegersohn," it doesn't use the Schwieger- prefix. The female equivalent is die Schwägerin (sister-in-law).
