Noun Gender: der, die or das?
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Learn the gender of German nouns and choose the correct definite article. Use common endings as clues and determine a compound noun’s article from its final noun.
Explanation
Gender and articles
Every German noun has a fixed article: der, die, or das.
| Gender | Article | Example |
|---|
| masculine | der | der Tisch |
| feminine | die | die Lampe |
| neuter | das | das Fenster |
Always learn a noun with its article and plural: der Schlüssel – die Schlüssel.
Simple clues
These clues help, but they have exceptions:
- male people: der Vater, der Lehrer
- female people ending in -in: die Mutter, die Lehrerin
- many nouns ending in -e and -ung: die Tasche, die Wohnung
- nouns ending in -chen: das Brötchen, das Mädchen
- days, months, and seasons: der Montag, der Mai, der Sommer
Examples: Der Tisch ist neu. Die Tasche ist schwer. Das Fenster ist offen. Die Lehrerin arbeitet heute. Das Brötchen kostet einen Euro.
If no simple clue helps, learn the article together with the noun.
Exercises
- Choose the correct article. Use the ending or meaning group as a clue. (11)
- Match every noun with its article. Each set contains several matches. (6)
- Three nouns have the same article. Choose the noun with a different article. (11)
A1 · German · Grammar