In German

der Frau

Meaning: “der Frau” (the woman) — Dativ, feminine: the indirect object

Example sentences

  • IchgebederFraudasBuch.

    I give the woman the book.

  • ErhilftderFrau.

    He helps the woman.

  • WirdankenderFrau.

    We thank the woman.

Grammar note

Feminine “die” becomes “der” in the Dativ — the one place where feminine looks like the masculine Nominativ article. Context, not the article alone, tells you which is which.

Common mistake

Don't read “der Frau” as Nominativ just because “der” usually marks masculine subjects. Here “Frau” is feminine, so “der” is the Dativ form, not a Nominativ masculine noun.

Quick check

In “Ich gebe der Frau das Buch”, which case is “der Frau” in?

More words on this topic

die Frau“die Frau” (the woman) — Nominativ, feminine: the subject of the sentencedie Frau“die Frau” (the woman) — Akkusativ, feminine: the direct objectder Frau“der Frau” (of the woman) — Genitiv, feminine: shows possessiondem Mann“dem Mann” (the man) — Dativ, masculine: the indirect object

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Frequently asked questions

Why does feminine “die” become “der” in the Dativ?

It's simply the Dativ ending for feminine nouns — a coincidence that it matches the masculine Nominativ article in spelling.

How do I tell “der” (masculine Nominativ) from “der” (feminine Dativ)?

Check the noun's gender and the verb: “helfen”, “danken” and “geben … das Buch” all point to the Dativ here.