Verlust is masculine in German — the correct article is der. The plural is die Verluste. In English, Verlust means loss.Der Verlust is a key word in business German vocabulary, used when talking about financial losses, setbacks, or the loss of something valuable. It's typically learned at B1 level and often appears alongside its opposite, der Gewinn. Below you'll find the full declension, example sentences, and a quiz.
Gender rule: There is no simple suffix rule for Verlust — its gender must be memorized. Many abstract nouns derived from strong verbs without a suffix are masculine in German (der Verlust, der Gewinn, der Beginn). See all gender patterns in the Article Rules and a full overview at the German Articles.
Verlust — Declension Table
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der Verlust | die Verluste |
| Genitive | des Verlusts / Verlustes | der Verluste |
| Dative | dem Verlust | den Verlusten |
| Accusative | den Verlust | die Verluste |
Example Sentences with Verlust
Der Verlust war höher als erwartet.
(The loss was higher than expected.) — Nominative
Das Unternehmen muss den Verlust ausgleichen.
(The company has to compensate for the loss.) — Accusative
Nach dem Verlust musste das Team neue Strategien entwickeln.
(After the loss, the team had to develop new strategies.) — Dative
Die Ursache des Verlustes ist noch unklar.
(The cause of the loss is still unclear.) — Genitive
Die Verluste im letzten Quartal waren erheblich.
(The losses in the last quarter were significant.) — Nominative Plural
Trotz der Verluste bleibt die Firma zuversichtlich.
(Despite the losses, the company remains confident.) — Genitive Plural
Related Words & Compounds
Word family (Wortfamilie): verlieren (to lose — verb), verloren (lost — past participle/adjective), der Verlierer (the loser)
Common compounds (Komposita): der Kontrollverlust (loss of control), die Verlustanzeige (report of loss), der Datenverlust (data loss)
Common Mistake with Verlust
❌ Common mistake: Die Verlusten sind hoch.
✅ Correct: Die Verluste sind hoch.
💡 Why: The plural of Verlust is Verluste — not "Verlusten." The form Verlusten only appears in the dative plural: trotz den Verlusten. In all other plural cases, it's die Verluste.
Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Can you get all three right? Apply what you've learned above.
1. Nach ___ Verlust musste die Firma reagieren.
- A) der
- B) dem
- C) den
Check Answer
"Nach" is a dative preposition. Masculine dative = dem: nach dem Verlust.
2. Die Firma konnte ___ Verlust nicht vermeiden.
- A) dem
- B) der
- C) den
Check Answer
"Vermeiden" takes an accusative object (what couldn't they avoid?). Masculine accusative = den: den Verlust.
3. Ein unerwartet___ Verlust hat das Budget belastet.
- A) -e
- B) -er
- C) -en
Check Answer
After the indefinite article ein in the nominative masculine, the adjective ending is -er: ein unerwarteter Verlust. The adjective must show the masculine gender because "ein" doesn't. For more on this, see the Adjective Endings eBook.
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 Work & Business Nouns
- der Gewinn — the profit
- der Umsatz — the revenue
- die Investition — the investment
- die Rechnung — the invoice
- das Budget — the budget
- die Frist — the deadline
- das Projekt — the project
- die Vereinbarung — the agreement
For more work-related vocabulary, explore the Business German 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 Verlust masculine, feminine, or neuter in German?
Verlust is masculine — the correct article is der. There is no simple suffix rule for this noun, so the gender must be memorized. A helpful pair to remember: der Verlust (loss) is the opposite of der Gewinn (profit) — both are masculine.
What is the plural of Verlust?
The plural is die Verluste. In the dative plural, an extra -n is added: den Verlusten. Be careful not to use "Verlusten" in the nominative or accusative — the correct form there is Verluste.
How do you say loss in German?
The German word for loss is der Verlust. It comes from the verb "verlieren" (to lose). Verlust is used for both financial losses (e.g. in business reports) and personal losses (e.g. the loss of a loved one).
What is the difference between Verlust and Niederlage?
Der Verlust refers to a loss in the sense of losing something — money, time, a person, or a possession. Die Niederlage means defeat and is used for competitions, sports, or conflicts. For example, a company reports a Verlust (financial loss), while a team suffers a Niederlage (defeat).
