den
Translation
the (masculine singular accusative)
Examples
Ich sehe den Hund.
I see the dog.
Er hat den Schlüssel.
He has the key.
Wir fragen den Lehrer.
We ask the teacher.
Grammar Patterns
((+ masculine singular noun in accusative)) the ... I read the book.
Similar Words
Synonyms: einen (indefinite article, masc. acc.); Antonyms: diesen (demonstrative, masc. acc.).
Etymology
From Old High German 'then', related to English 'the' and 'then'. Its form evolved to indicate grammatical case and gender.
Memory Tips
Remember the 'n' in 'den' often signals the accusative case for masculine nouns, the direct object. 'He kicks deN ball'.