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Gender of Nouns in German

German nouns have grammatical gender, which can be masculine (der), feminine (die), or neuter (das). The gender affects articles, adjectives, pronouns, and declension.

1. The Three Genders

  • Masculine (der): e.g., der Hund (the dog)
  • Feminine (die): e.g., die Katze (the cat)
  • Neuter (das): e.g., das Haus (the house)

Plural always uses die, regardless of gender.

2. General Patterns

While many nouns must be memorized, there are helpful rules and tendencies:

Masculine (der)

  • Days, months, seasons: der Montag, der Juli, der Sommer
  • Male persons/animals: der Mann, der König, der Hengst
  • Nouns ending in: -er, -en, -el, -ig, -ich, -ling: der Lehrer, der Apfel, der Teppich

Feminine (die)

  • Female persons/animals: die Frau, die Königin, die Stute
  • Nouns ending in: -e, -heit, -keit, -ung, -schaft, -ion, -tät, -ik: die Blume, die Freiheit, die Freundschaft, die Nation, die Universität
  • Names of motorcycles, ships, and airplanes: die Titanic, die BMW

Neuter (das)

  • Diminutives ending in -chen, -lein: das Mädchen, das Fräulein
  • Nouns ending in -um, -ment: das Zentrum, das Instrument
  • Infinitives used as nouns: das Essen, das Lesen
  • Many nouns with prefixes Ge- or collective forms: das Gebäude, das Gemüse

3. Memorization Tips

  • Always learn nouns with their article: der Tisch, die Lampe, das Buch.
  • Flashcards or spaced repetition apps help reinforce gender.
  • Group nouns by gender to spot patterns.

4. Common Exceptions

  • das Mädchen (neuter) even though it refers to a girl (diminutive rule overrides natural gender).
  • der See (lake) vs. die See (sea).
  • Loanwords may not follow rules: das Handy (mobile phone).

5. Quick Reference Table

Gender Articles (Nom. Sg.) Typical Endings/Examples
Masculine der -er, -en, -el, -ig, -ich, -ling; male beings
Feminine die -e, -heit, -keit, -ung, -schaft, -ion, -tät
Neuter das -chen, -lein, -um, -ment; infinitives as nouns

💡 Tips

Always learn the plural with the noun (and article):

das Buch → die Bücher

der Apfel → die Äpfel

die Schule → die Schulen

Patterns help, but German loves exceptions.