"Familie" is feminine in German — the correct article is die. The plural is die Familien. In English, Familie means "family"."Die Familie" is probably the most important word in the family vocabulary cluster — it's the word that contains them all. Essential A1 vocabulary that appears in every German textbook and conversation about personal life. The gender is easy to remember: the -ie ending is one of the most reliable feminine markers in German. Below you'll find the full declension, example sentences, and a quiz.
Gender rule: Nouns ending in -ie are always feminine in German — 100% reliable, no exceptions. The same rule applies to die Energie, die Theorie, die Demokratie. See all patterns in the German Article Rules.
Familie — Declension Table
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Familie | die Familien |
| Genitive | der Familie | der Familien |
| Dative | der Familie | den Familien |
| Accusative | die Familie | die Familien |
Example Sentences with Familie
Die Familie frühstückt zusammen am Sonntag.
(The family has breakfast together on Sunday.) — Nominative
Ich liebe meine Familie sehr.
(I love my family very much.) — Accusative
Er erzählt der Familie die gute Nachricht.
(He tells the family the good news.) — Dative
Das Haus der Familie steht am Stadtrand.
(The family's house is on the outskirts of town.) — Genitive
Die Familien in unserer Straße kennen sich gut.
(The families on our street know each other well.) — Nominative Plural
Die Stadt bietet den Familien viele Spielplätze.
(The city offers the families many playgrounds.) — Dative Plural
Related Words & Compounds
Word family (Wortfamilie): familiär (familiar/family-related — adjective), die Familienangehörigen (family members), das Familienleben (family life), familienfreundlich (family-friendly — adjective)
Common compounds (Komposita): das Familienmitglied (family member), der Familienname (family name/surname), das Familienfest (family celebration), der Familienvater (family man/father), das Familienfoto (family photo), die Familienplanung (family planning)
Common Mistake with Familie
❌ Common mistake: Meine Familie sind nett.
✅ Correct: Meine Familie ist nett.
💡 Why: In English, "my family" can take a plural verb ("my family are nice"). In German, die Familie is always singular — the verb must be ist, not sind. If you want to talk about the individuals, say "Meine Familienmitglieder sind nett" (My family members are nice).
Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Can you get all three right? Apply what you've learned above.
1. ___ Familie wohnt in Hamburg.
- A) Der
- B) Die
- C) Das
Check Answer
"Die Familie" — Nouns ending in -ie are always feminine in German. In the nominative, the article is die.
2. Er schenkt ___ Familie ein Gemälde.
- A) die Familie
- B) der Familie
- C) den Familie
Check Answer
"Schenken" requires a dative object (to whom?). Feminine dative = der: der Familie. The noun itself doesn't change.
3. Er kommt aus einer groß___ Familie.
- A) -e
- B) -er
- C) -en
Check Answer
"Aus" is a dative preposition. After an indefinite article in the dative feminine, the adjective ending is -en: einer großen Familie. In the dative, adjective endings are always -en regardless of gender.
Want to practice more nouns like this? The Article Trainer has 600+ nouns — including family vocabulary and common feminine nouns.
More People & Family Nouns
- der Vater — the father
- die Mutter — the mother
- der Sohn — the son
- die Tochter — the daughter
- der Bruder — the brother
- die Schwester — the sister
- das Kind — the child
- das Baby — the baby
For more A1 vocabulary, explore the full vocabulary overview or test yourself with the vocabulary quizzes.
Is it der, die, or das Familie? Practice makes perfect.
The Article Trainer gives you 600+ nouns to drill — including family vocabulary and common feminine nouns. Pick the article, get instant feedback, and stop guessing.
Practice German Articles →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Familie masculine, feminine, or neuter in German?
Familie is feminine — the correct article is die. The ending -ie is one of the most reliable feminine markers in German — it works 100% of the time. Other examples: die Energie, die Theorie, die Garantie, die Demokratie. See all gender rules in the Article Rules.
What is the plural of Familie?
The plural is die Familien — simply add -n. This is the standard plural pattern for feminine nouns ending in -e or -ie: die Familie → die Familien, die Theorie → die Theorien, die Energie → die Energien.
Is Familie singular or plural in German?
Die Familie is singular in German and always takes a singular verb: "Meine Familie ist groß" (My family is big). Unlike in British English where "family" can take a plural verb, German always treats Familie as one unit. For the plural (multiple families), use die Familien.
What does Familienname mean?
Der Familienname means "family name" or "surname" — the same as der Nachname. It's masculine because the last word in the compound, Name, is masculine. You'll see "Familienname" on official German forms alongside "Vorname" (first name). Note that Name follows the N-Deklination with a special genitive: des Familiennamens.
