Questions & Answers about Das Pflaster auf meinem Knie ist neu.
Why is it das Pflaster and not der or die Pflaster?
In German, every noun has a grammatical gender that you simply have to learn with the word.
- Pflaster (meaning a sticking plaster / band-aid) is neuter, so it takes the article das.
- So the basic forms are:
- das Pflaster – the plaster / band-aid
- ein Pflaster – a plaster / band-aid
It’s not logical from meaning; it’s just a property of the word:
- das Pflaster (neuter)
- not der Pflaster (masculine)
- not die Pflaster (feminine singular; die Pflaster can be plural, though — see next question).
What exactly does Pflaster mean? Is it always a band-aid?