"Cousine" (also spelled "Kusine") is feminine in German — the correct article is die. The plural is die Cousinen (or die Kusinen). In English, Cousine means "female cousin". The male counterpart is der Cousin."Die Cousine" belongs to essential family vocabulary — it describes the daughter of your uncle or aunt. While English uses the gender-neutral term "cousin" for both, German requires you to be specific: der Cousin (male) and die Cousine (female). Below you'll find the full declension table, example sentences, and a quiz to test your grammar skills.
Gender rule: Female persons and female family members are inherently feminine. Additionally, nouns ending in -e (like die Tante, die Nichte, die Cousine) are feminine in over 90% of cases. See all patterns in the German Article Rules.
Cousine / Kusine — Declension Table
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Cousine (Kusine) | die Cousinen (Kusinen) |
| Genitive | der Cousine (Kusine) | der Cousinen (Kusinen) |
| Dative | der Cousine (Kusine) | den Cousinen (Kusinen) |
| Accusative | die Cousine (Kusine) | die Cousinen (Kusinen) |
Example Sentences with Cousine
Die Cousine studiert Medizin in München.
(The cousin is studying medicine in Munich.) — Nominative
Wir rufen die Cousine per Videochat an.
(We are calling the cousin via video chat.) — Accusative
Das blaue Kleid passt der Cousine perfekt.
(The blue dress fits the cousin perfectly.) — Dative
Der Laptop der Cousine liegt auf dem Schreibtisch.
(The cousin's laptop is on the desk.) — Genitive
Die Cousinen planen einen gemeinsamen Urlaub.
(The cousins are planning a vacation together.) — Nominative Plural
Er schickt den Cousinen eine Postkarte aus Italien.
(He sends the cousins a postcard from Italy.) — Dative Plural
Related Words & Compounds
Semantic field (Das Wortfeld): die Familie (family), die Verwandtschaft (relatives / kinship), der Cousin (male cousin), die Tante (aunt), der Onkel (uncle), die Nichte (niece), der Neffe (nephew), die Schwester (sister), der Bruder (brother)
Common compounds (Komposita): die Großcousine (second cousin - female)
Common Mistake with Cousine
❌ Common mistake: Meine Cousinnen wohnen in Berlin.
✅ Correct: Meine Cousinen wohnen in Berlin.
💡 Why: It's easy to mix this up with female professions or roles ending in -in (like die Lehrerin → die Lehrerinnen). However, die Cousine already ends in an -e. To form the plural, you simply add one -n: die Cousinen. Writing it with a double "nn" is a frequent spelling error.
Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Can you get all three right? Apply what you've learned above.
1. Wir fragen ___ Cousine nach dem Weg.
- A) die
- B) der
- C) den
Check Answer
The verb "fragen" (to ask) requires a direct object in the accusative case (whom are we asking?). The definite feminine article in the accusative is die.
2. Er hilft ___ jung___ Cousine bei den Hausaufgaben.
- A) die / -e
- B) der / -en
- C) der / -e
Check Answer
"Helfen" takes the dative case (der Cousine). When an adjective follows a definite article (der) in the dative, the adjective ending is always -en: der jungen Cousine.
3. Das ist die Tasche ___ Cousine.
- A) der
- B) die
- C) des
Check Answer
This sentence shows possession (whose bag?), so it needs the genitive case. The feminine genitive article is der: der Cousine.
Looking for more practice? The Article Trainer contains hundreds of nouns, including family vocabulary and other common noun groups.
More People & Family Nouns
- der Cousin — the male cousin
- die Oma — the grandma
- der Opa — the grandpa
- die Mutter — the mother
- der Vater — the father
- die Tochter — the daughter
- der Sohn — the son
- das Kind — the child
For more vocabulary, explore the full vocabulary overview or challenge yourself with the vocabulary quizzes.
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Practice German Articles →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cousine masculine, feminine, or neuter in German?
Cousine (and its alternative spelling Kusine) is feminine — the correct article is die. Since it refers to a female person, it naturally takes the feminine gender. Nouns ending in -e are also feminine in the vast majority of cases.
What is the difference between Cousine and Kusine?
There is no difference in meaning. Cousine is the original spelling derived from French and is the most widely used. Kusine is a germanized spelling that is also officially recognized by the Duden dictionary, though it is less common in everyday writing.
What is the difference between Cousine and Cousin?
Die Cousine specifically means "female cousin." Der Cousin specifically means "male cousin." German does not have a gender-neutral singular word for cousin, so you must always clarify the gender depending on who you are talking about.
What is the plural of Cousine?
The plural of Cousine is die Cousinen. You simply add an -n. Be careful not to write "Cousinnen" with a double n, which is a common spelling mistake.
