In German
ein, eine, ein
Meaning: a / an (indefinite article)
Example sentences
DasisteinHund.
That is a dog.
IchhabeeineSchwester.
I have a sister.
Grammar note
German has one word for “a/an” per gender in the nominative — “ein” (masculine and neuter), “eine” (feminine) — and it declines across all four cases exactly like the definite article “der/die/das”, just without a plural form at all: “a dogs” isn't a concept in English either.
Common mistake
Don't assume “ein” only means “one” (the number) — in front of a noun it's the indefinite article “a/an”; standing alone as a number it means “one”. Context (a noun right after it, or not) tells them apart.
Quick check
Which German words mean “a/an” for masculine and neuter nouns?
More words on this topic
Keep learning German
Practise it in a lesson →Frequently asked questions
Does “ein” have a plural form?
No — the indefinite article has no plural, the same as English “a/an” has none.
Is “ein” the same word as the number “one”?
Spelled identically. Before a noun it's the article “a/an”; standing alone it means the number “one”.