"Zeh" is masculine in German — the correct article is der. The plural is die Zehen. In English, Zeh means "toe".
Gender rule: der Zeh is masculine. Body part nouns in German have mixed genders — der Zeh, die Schulter, das Knie — so there is no reliable ending-based rule here. Note that the Duden also accepts the feminine form die Zehe as an alternative — both are correct, but der Zeh is the more concise standard form. 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 Zeh is an A1–A2 vocabulary word that every German learner needs early on. It is worth noting that the Duden lists both der Zeh (masculine) and die Zehe (feminine) as valid forms — in everyday speech, both are used, but der Zeh is the shorter and more common form in spoken German. The plural for both is die Zehen. Understanding how cases work with masculine nouns like der Zeh is an important step at A1–A2 level. For more body part nouns, also see der Zahn and das Bein.
Zeh — Declension Table
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der Zeh | die Zehen |
| Genitive | des Zehs | der Zehen |
| Dative | dem Zeh | den Zehen |
| Accusative | den Zeh | die Zehen |
Example Sentences with Zeh
Sein kleiner Zeh ist nach dem Stoß gegen die Tischkante dick und blau.
(His little toe is swollen and bruised after knocking it against the table edge.) — Nominative
Sie streckt den Zeh ins Wasser, um die Temperatur zu testen.
(She stretches her toe into the water to test the temperature.) — Accusative
Er spürte einen scharfen Schmerz im Zeh beim ersten Schritt.
(He felt a sharp pain in his toe with the first step.) — Dative
Der Nagel des Zehs war eingewachsen und entzündet.
(The nail of the toe was ingrown and inflamed.) — Genitive
Ihre Zehen sind nach dem langen Wandern in den engen Schuhen wund.
(Her toes are sore after the long hike in the tight shoes.) — Nominative Plural
Den Zehen tut es gut, nach dem Wandern barfuß auf dem Gras zu laufen.
(It is good for the toes to walk barefoot on the grass after hiking.) — Dative Plural
Related Words & Compounds
Word family (Wortfamilie):
Der Zeh has a very small word family. The feminine variant die Zehe is listed in the Duden as an equally correct form of the same word — not a separate derivation. No established adjectives or verbs share this stem.
Common compounds (Komposita):
- der Zehennagel — toenail
- die Zehenspitze — tip of the toe (also used in auf Zehenspitzen — on tiptoe)
Common Mistake with Zeh
❌ Common mistake: Meine Zehn tun weh.
✅ Correct: Meine Zehen tun weh.
💡 Why: The plural of der Zeh is die Zehen — not Zehn. Zehn (without the final -e) is the German word for the number ten — a completely different word. Always write the plural as Zehen with a final -e: meine Zehen.
Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Can you get all three right? Apply what you've learned above.
1. Sie streckt ___ Zeh ins Wasser, um die Temperatur zu testen.
- A) der
- B) dem
- C) den
Check Answer
The verb strecken (to stretch/extend) takes a direct object — what does she stretch? Her toe. Direct objects use the accusative case. For masculine nouns, the accusative article is den: den Zeh. Option A) der is nominative. Option B) dem is dative.
2. Der Nagel des ___ war eingewachsen und entzündet.
- A) Zehs
- B) Zehen
- C) Zehn
Check Answer
"Der Nagel des ___" — whose nail? The toe's. This requires the genitive case. The genitive singular of der Zeh is des Zehs — add -s. Option B) Zehen is the plural form, not the genitive singular. Option C) Zehn is the German word for the number ten — a completely different word.
3. In dem wund___ Zeh steckt noch ein Splitter.
- A) -e
- B) -er
- C) -en
Check Answer
After a definite article in the dative, the adjective ending is always -en — for all three genders: in dem wunden Zeh. The definite article dem already carries the dative signal, so the adjective takes the weak ending -en. Option A) -e is used after a definite article in nominative/accusative neuter or nominative/accusative feminine. Option B) -er is the strong ending for masculine nominative without an 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
- der Arm — the arm
- der Bauch — the belly / stomach
- das Bein — the leg
- der Finger — the finger
- das Gesicht — the face
- der Hals — the neck / throat
- die Hand — the hand
- das Herz — the heart
- die Haut — the skin
- das Knie — the knee
- der Knochen — the bone
- der Kopf — the head
- der Muskel — the muscle
- die Nase — the nose
- das Ohr — the ear
- der Rücken — the back
- die Schulter — the shoulder
- der Zahn — the tooth
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 Zeh? 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 Zeh masculine, feminine, or neuter in German?
Zeh is masculine — the correct article is der. The Duden also accepts the feminine variant die Zehe as equally correct. Both forms share the same plural: die Zehen. In everyday speech, both variants are used, but der Zeh is the shorter and more concise form. For a full overview of gender patterns, see the Article Rules.
What is the plural of Zeh in German?
The plural is die Zehen — add -en. Do not confuse this with zehn — that is the German word for the number ten, which is an entirely different word. In the dative plural, no extra -n is needed because the plural already ends in -en: den Zehen.
What is the difference between der Zeh and die Zehe in German?
Both der Zeh and die Zehe are correct German words for toe and are listed in the Duden. They share the same plural: die Zehen. In practice, der Zeh tends to be slightly more common in spoken German, while die Zehe is also widely used, particularly in written and medical contexts. Either form is acceptable in all situations.
What is the genitive of der Zeh?
The genitive singular is des Zehs — add -s. The genitive plural is der Zehen. See the Cases Overview for more detail.
