German noun endings

-iv

Nouns ending in -iv are almost always das.

German does not build these — the words arrived whole.The words came from Latin.

Examples

  • das Motiv
  • das Archiv
  • das Adjektiv
  • das Objektiv
  • das Passiv

Plural

  • das Motiv die Motive

One exception

A person is der: der Detektiv.

  • der Detektiv

Endings that take das