"Haut" is feminine in German — the correct article is die. The plural is die Häute. In English, Haut means "skin".
Gender rule: die Haut is feminine. Body part nouns in German have mixed genders — der Finger, die Haut, 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.
Die Haut is an A1–A2 vocabulary word that comes up in everyday German — from health and beauty contexts to descriptions and idiomatic expressions. Like all feminine nouns, die Haut never changes its form in the singular — only the article does. The plural die Häute is formed with an umlaut and -e, though in everyday German the singular is by far the more common form. Understanding how cases work with feminine nouns like die Haut is an important step at A1–A2 level. For more body part nouns, also see die Hand and das Gesicht.
Haut — Declension Table
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Haut | die Häute |
| Genitive | der Haut | der Häute |
| Dative | der Haut | den Häuten |
| Accusative | die Haut | die Häute |
Example Sentences with Haut
Ihre Haut ist nach dem Sommerurlaub goldbraun und gepflegt.
(Her skin is golden brown and well-cared-for after the summer holiday.) — Nominative
Sie cremt die Haut jeden Abend sorgfältig ein.
(She moisturises her skin carefully every evening.) — Accusative
Das Pflaster haftet gut an der Haut und löst sich nicht ab.
(The plaster sticks well to the skin and does not come off.) — Dative
Die Farbe der Haut kann viel über den allgemeinen Gesundheitszustand verraten.
(The colour of the skin can reveal a lot about one's general state of health.) — Genitive
Die Häute der gegerbten Tiere hingen zum Trocknen in der Sonne.
(The hides of the tanned animals hung in the sun to dry.) — Nominative Plural
Den Häuten der Tiere wird bei der Lederherstellung besondere Sorgfalt gewidmet.
(Special care is devoted to the hides of the animals during leather production.) — Dative Plural
Related Words & Compounds
Word family (Wortfamilie):
- das Häutchen — thin layer of skin / membrane (diminutive)
- häuten — to skin / to peel (verb)
Common compounds (Komposita):
- der Hautarzt — dermatologist (lit. skin doctor)
- die Hautfarbe — skin colour / complexion
- die Hautpflege — skin care
- die Hautkrankheit — skin disease
Common Mistake with Haut
❌ Common mistake: Die Hauten sind sehr empfindlich.
✅ Correct: Die Häute sind sehr empfindlich. (plural) or Die Haut ist sehr empfindlich. (singular — more natural)
💡 Why: The plural of die Haut is die Häute — not Hauten. The plural adds an umlaut (a → ä) and -e. Note that in everyday German, die Haut is almost always used in the singular when talking about a person's skin — the plural die Häute is mainly used for animal hides or technical contexts.
Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Can you get all three right? Apply what you've learned above.
1. Das Pflaster haftet gut an ___ Haut.
- A) die
- B) dem
- C) der
Check Answer
The preposition an can take either accusative (movement toward) or dative (location/rest). Here the plaster is sticking — a fixed position, no movement — so the dative is required: an der Haut. For feminine nouns, the dative article is der. Option A) die is nominative/accusative. Option B) dem is the dative article for masculine and neuter nouns.
2. Die Oberfläche ___ Haut war nach dem Sonnenbrand stark gerötet.
- A) die
- B) dem
- C) der
Check Answer
"Die Oberfläche ___ Haut" — whose surface? The skin's. This is a possession relationship expressed with the genitive case. For feminine nouns, the genitive article is der — and the noun itself stays unchanged: der Haut. Option A) die is nominative/accusative. Option B) dem is the dative article for masculine and neuter nouns.
3. Sie cremt die trocken___ Haut jeden Abend ein.
- A) -er
- B) -en
- C) -e
Check Answer
After a definite article in the accusative with a feminine noun, the adjective ending is -e: die trockene Haut. The definite article die already carries the feminine accusative signal, so the adjective takes the weak ending -e. Option A) -er is the strong ending for masculine nominative without an article. 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 Finger — the finger
- das Gesicht — the face
- der Hals — the neck / throat
- die Hand — the hand
- das Herz — the heart
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 Haut? 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 Haut masculine, feminine, or neuter in German?
Haut is feminine — the correct article is die. 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 Haut in German?
The plural is die Häute — the vowel takes an umlaut (a → ä) and -e is added. Do not use Hauten — this ending does not apply here. In the dative plural, a further -n is added: den Häuten. Note that in everyday German, die Haut is almost always used in the singular — the plural die Häute appears mainly in the context of animal hides or technical usage.
Does Haut only mean "skin" in German?
Die Haut primarily means skin — the outer layer of the human or animal body. In the context of animals, it can also refer to a hide or pelt, and in some technical contexts it means a thin membrane or film. The diminutive das Häutchen is often used for a thin membrane — for example the skin on heated milk. In everyday speech, Haut almost always means human skin.
What is the genitive of die Haut?
The genitive singular is der Haut — the noun itself stays unchanged, as with all feminine nouns in German. Only the article changes from die to der. This is an important difference from masculine and neuter nouns, which add -s or -es in the genitive. See the Cases Overview for more detail.
