Wondering what is the correct article of Hase (rabbit)? Hase is masculine, so it is der Hase.
Why is it masculine? As part of the Der Die Das Book’s Zoo of Rules Methodology, this noun falls under the ‘-e, die Giraffe’ rule, which states that 85% of nouns ending in ‘-e’ are feminine.
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Why is “Hase” masculine?
Now der Hase is an exception. Why? 10% of nouns ending in ‘-e’ are masculine, while 5% are neuter.
As for the masculine exceptions, you have der Name (the first word you learn!), der Käse, der Buchstabe, der Kaffee, and der Tee. Many masculine nouns ending in ‘-e’ refer to a person, like der Kollege, der Junge, and der Angestellte.
Most mammals ending in ‘-e’ are masculine, such as der Löwe, der Affe, der Hase, and der Bulle, but die Hyäne. So this exception to the rule explains why the correct article of Hase is der.
The above rule does not apply to birds (die Ente, die Eule, die Taube), but there is always an exception: der Falke, as most predatory birds are masculine (der Adler, der Bussard, der Habicht, der Geier, etc., but die Eule!).
Since “Hase” is a weak noun (schwaches Substantiv) in German, it follows a specific declension pattern, adding -n in all cases except nominative. Here’s how it looks:
Declension of “Hase” (masculine, weak noun)
| Case | Article + Noun | Example Sentence |
| Nominative (Wer/Was?) | der Hase | Der Hase läuft schnell. (The rabbit runs fast.) |
| Accusative (Wen/Was?) | den Hasen | Ich sehe den Hasen. (I see the rabbit.) |
| Dative (Wem?) | dem Hasen | Ich gebe dem Hasen eine Karotte. (I give the rabbit a carrot.) |
| Genitive (Wessen?) | des Hasen | Das Fell des Hasen ist weich. (The rabbit’s fur is soft.) |
Short Paragraph Using Different Cases
Here is a short paragraph using different cases for “der Hase” in German, along with its English translation:
German:
Der Hase sitzt im Gras und frisst eine Karotte. Plötzlich sieht er den Hasen springen. Ein Kind gibt dem Hasen noch eine Karotte. Das Fell des Hasen ist sehr weich und flauschig.
English Translation:
The rabbit sits in the grass and eats a carrot. Suddenly, it sees the rabbit jump. A child gives the rabbit another carrot. The rabbit’s fur is very soft and fluffy.