ein
/aɪ̯n/masculine, neuter
The English phrase "an" is translated into German using the indefinite article ein. Wiktionary also lists eine.
Meaning: indefinite article (article)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ein | /aɪ̯n/ (standard) /ən/ |
masculine, neuter |
| eine | /ˈʔaɪ̯nə/ (standard) /nə/ (colloquial) |
feminine |
In German, ein is an indefinite article. The preposition 'an' can be translated as 'on'.
Which one should you use?
Use ein for masculine and neuter nouns, and use eine for feminine nouns.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form 'ein' changes to 'einen' when it is the direct object of a sentence. The form 'ein' changes to 'einem' in the dative case for masculine and neuter nouns. The feminine form 'eine' changes to 'einer' in the dative and genitive cases.
How do you pronounce it?
/aɪ̯n/
Did you know?
- In German, you can often omit the indefinite article ein when talking about someone's profession, such as saying Ich bin Lehrer instead of 'I am a teacher'.
- The word ein is also a relative of the English preposition 'in', both descending from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁én.
- While ein is the indefinite article, German also uses ein as the number 'one'. The only difference is that the number is usually stressed more heavily in a sentence.
Examples in context
- Er isst ein Ei.He's eating an egg.This sentence shows how to use ein with a neuter noun.Tatoeba #8320805 by MisterTrouser, translation #9510397 by sundown
- Ich zog ein As.I drew an ace.This sentence shows how to use ein in a sentence.Tatoeba #11999065 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3965668 by krofna
- Brat mir ein Ei.Fry an egg for me.This sentence shows how to use ein in an imperative sentence.Tatoeba #1314827 by al_ex_an_der, translation #325244 by CK
- Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand.I hang the picture on the wall.
- Die Katze sitzt an der Tür.The cat is sitting at the door.
- Ich rufe dich am Telefon an.I'll call you on the phone.
- Er klopft an die Tür.He knocks on the door.
- Wir schreiben einen Brief an unsere Freunde.We write a letter to our friends.
- Kannst du das Buch an mich weitergeben?Can you pass the book to me?
- Gehen wir zusammen an den Strand?Shall we go to the beach together?
- 7466 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are at a cafe.
- LukasIch möchte ein Kaffee, bitte.I would like a coffee, please.
- SarahWillst du auch ein Stück Kuchen?Do you also want a piece of cake?
- LukasJa, das ist ein guter Plan.Yes, that is a good plan.
- SarahIch bestelle uns jetzt ein Dessert.I will order a dessert for us now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “an” translations and entries ein, eine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ein, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
