Noun Gender: der, die or das?
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