"Finger" is masculine in German — the correct article is der. The plural is die Finger — the form is unchanged. In English, Finger means "finger".
Gender rule: der Finger is masculine. Body part nouns in German have mixed genders — der Finger, die Hand, das Knie — 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 Finger is an A1 vocabulary word that comes up constantly in everyday German — from giving directions to describing gestures. It is a particularly useful example because its plural is identical to its singular: both are Finger, with only the article changing. Understanding how cases affect masculine nouns like der Finger is a key step at A1 level. This article covers the full declension, example sentences, word family, a common mistake, and a short quiz. For more body part nouns with masculine gender, also see der Arm and der Bauch.
Finger — Declension Table
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der Finger | die Finger |
| Genitive | des Fingers | der Finger |
| Dative | dem Finger | den Fingern |
| Accusative | den Finger | die Finger |
Example Sentences with Finger
Ihr Finger ist nach dem Kochen leicht verbrannt und gerötet.
(Her finger is slightly burnt and red after cooking.) — Nominative
Er streckt den Finger aus und zeigt auf das Schild an der Wand.
(He stretches out his finger and points at the sign on the wall.) — Accusative
Das Kind winkt mit dem Finger, um die Lehrerin auf sich aufmerksam zu machen.
(The child beckons with its finger to get the teacher's attention.) — Dative
Die Spitze des Fingers war nach dem langen Tippen taub.
(The tip of the finger was numb after the long typing session.) — Genitive
Ihre Finger gleiten leicht über die Klaviertasten.
(Her fingers glide smoothly over the piano keys.) — Nominative Plural
Er zählt mit den Fingern, während er die Aufgabe laut erklärt.
(He counts on his fingers while explaining the task out loud.) — Dative Plural
Related Words & Compounds
Word family (Wortfamilie):
- das Fingerchen — little finger (diminutive)
- fingern — to fumble / to fiddle (verb)
Common compounds (Komposita):
- der Fingerabdruck — fingerprint
- der Fingernagel — fingernail
- die Fingerkuppe — fingertip
- der Fingerzeig — hint / pointer (figurative)
Common Mistake with Finger
❌ Common mistake: Sie hat lange Fingers.
✅ Correct: Sie hat lange Finger.
💡 Why: The plural of der Finger is die Finger — the noun does not change at all. The -s plural is rare in German and mostly limited to certain loanwords like das Auto → die Autos. Native German nouns ending in -er, such as der Finger, der Lehrer, or der Bruder, typically have an unchanged plural.
Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Can you get all three right? Apply what you've learned above.
1. Er zeigt mit ___ Finger auf die richtige Antwort an der Tafel.
- A) der
- B) dem
- C) den
Check Answer
The preposition mit always takes the dative case. For masculine nouns, the dative article is dem: mit dem Finger. Option A) der is the dative article for feminine nouns. Option C) den is the accusative article for masculine nouns.
2. Die Spitze ___ Fingers war nach dem Tippen taub.
- A) dem
- B) des
- C) der
Check Answer
"Die Spitze ___ Fingers" — whose tip? The finger'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 Fingers. Option A) dem is dative. Option C) der is the genitive article for feminine nouns.
3. Ein lang___ Finger reicht bis zur nächsten Taste.
- 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 langer Finger. 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 Kopf — the head
- der Rücken — the back
- die Hand — the hand
- die Schulter — the shoulder
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 Finger? 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 Finger masculine, feminine, or neuter in German?
Finger 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 Finger in German?
The plural is die Finger — the noun itself does not change. This is called the zero plural and is typical for masculine nouns ending in -er. Only the article changes: der Finger (singular) → die Finger (plural). In the dative plural, -n is added: den Fingern.
What are the five fingers called in German?
The five fingers have specific names in German: der Daumen (thumb), der Zeigefinger (index finger), der Mittelfinger (middle finger), der Ringfinger (ring finger), and der kleine Finger (little finger / pinky). Note that der Daumen is typically treated separately from the four Finger in everyday German — a distinction that also exists in English.
What is the genitive of der Finger?
The genitive singular is des Fingers — unlike many other masculine nouns, der Finger adds only -s (not -es) in the genitive, because the word already ends in -er. The genitive plural is der Finger — again unchanged. See the Cases Overview for more detail.
