Free · with audio
Der, die, das: German noun genders
You can often guess a German noun’s gender from its ending: -ung is always die, -chen is always das. Here are 13 rules with examples and exceptions, the articles in every case, and a game to train your feel for gender.
- 13 rules
- 160 words
- Case table
- Speed game
- Audio
Three genders, three articles
Every German noun has a gender, and it rarely has anything to do with meaning: die Sonne (the sun) is feminine, das Mädchen (the girl) is neuter.
der
masculine
Days, months and seasons, men, words in -ling, -ismus, -ist, -or.
die
feminine
Most words in -e and every word in -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -ion, -tät.
das
neuter
Diminutives in -chen and -lein, verbs used as nouns, most words in -um and -o.
How to tell the gender: the rules
Some rules always work, others almost always, with exceptions. Tap a word to hear it.
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Der — masculine
- deralmost always
Men and boys
Words for men take der: der Vater, der Lehrer, der Arzt.
Examples
- deralways
Days, months, seasons
All days of the week, months and seasons are der: der Montag, der Mai, der Herbst. So are the points of the compass: der Norden.
Examples
- deralmost always
Endings -ling, -ismus, -ist, -or, -ig, -ich, -ant
Almost always der: der Frühling, der Tourismus, der Polizist, der Motor, der Honig, der Teppich. Exceptions are rare (das Labor).
Examples
- deralmost always
Alcoholic drinks
Most are der: der Wein, der Wodka, der Sekt. The big exception is das Bier.
Examples
Exceptions
Die — feminine
- diealways
Endings -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -ion, -tät
The most reliable rule: these words are always die — die Zeitung, die Freiheit, die Möglichkeit, die Freundschaft, die Information, die Universität.
Examples
- diealmost always
Endings -ik, -ei, -ie, -ur
Almost always die: die Musik, die Bäckerei, die Familie, die Natur. There are exceptions: das Abitur, der Atlantik.
Examples
Exceptions
- diealmost always
Ending -e
About nine words in ten ending in -e are die: die Lampe, die Straße, die Schule. But words for men and some others are der (der Junge, der Name, der Käse), and a few are das (das Auge, das Ende).
Examples
Exceptions
- diealmost always
Women and the suffix -in
Words for women are die: die Frau, die Mutter. Female job titles add -in: der Lehrer → die Lehrerin. The exception is das Mädchen (because of -chen).
Examples
Das — neuter
- dasalways
Diminutives -chen and -lein
Always das, even for people: das Mädchen, das Brötchen, das Fräulein.
Examples
- dasalways
Verbs used as nouns
A capitalised infinitive is always das: essen → das Essen, leben → das Leben, schwimmen → das Schwimmen.
Examples
- dasalmost always
Endings -um and -ment
Mostly das: das Museum, das Zentrum, das Dokument. There are exceptions: der Konsum, der Moment.
Examples
- dasalmost always
Words beginning with Ge-
Collective nouns with Ge- are often das: das Gemüse, das Gebirge, das Geschenk. But the rule is shaky: die Geschichte, der Geschmack.
Examples
Exceptions
- dasalmost always
Ending -o
Words in -o, mostly borrowed, are das: das Auto, das Kino, das Radio, das Büro. The exception is die Disco.
Examples
How to remember the gender
Learn the word with its article
Not “Tisch — table” but “der Tisch”. Write and say every noun with its article.
Use colours
Der blue, die red, das green, as in the game below. A colour in your notes and flashcards sticks faster than the word.
Compound nouns
A compound takes the gender of its last part: das Haus + die Tür = die Haustür, die Hand + der Schuh = der Handschuh.
The plural is always die
The plural has one article for every gender: der Tisch → die Tische, das Kind → die Kinder.
The articles in every case
The article changes with the case as well as the gender — it is what shows who does what in a sentence.
Definite article: der, die, das
| Kasus | der(masculine) | die(feminine) | das(neuter) | plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativsubject | der | die | das | die |
| Akkusativdirect object | den | die | das | die |
| Dativindirect object | dem | der | dem | den |
| Genitivpossession | des | der | des | der |
Indefinite article: ein, eine (plural: keine)
| Kasus | der(masculine) | die(feminine) | das(neuter) | plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativsubject | ein | eine | ein | keine |
| Akkusativdirect object | einen | eine | ein | keine |
| Dativindirect object | einem | einer | einem | keinen |
| Genitivpossession | eines | einer | eines | keiner |
- NominativDer Mann ist hier.The man is here.
- AkkusativIch sehe den Mann.I can see the man.
- DativIch helfe dem Mann.I’m helping the man.
- GenitivDas ist das Auto des Mannes.That’s the man’s car.
There is no indefinite article in the plural (Ich habe Kinder), so the last column shows the negative keine. Most of the changes happen in the masculine and in the dative.
Guess the article
A word and three buttons: der, die, das. Practise with hints from the rules, or race the clock.
FAQ
Didn’t find your answer? Send us a request — we’ll tell you everything.
How do I tell the gender of a German noun?
Look at the ending first: -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -ion, -tät are always die, -chen and -lein are always das, -ling, -ismus, -ist are der. Then at the meaning: days, months and seasons are der, women are die, verbs used as nouns are das. For the rest you have to learn the gender.
Why is das Mädchen neuter?
Because of -chen: every diminutive in -chen or -lein is das, whatever it means. Mädchen literally means “little maid”.
Does German gender follow meaning?
Rarely: die Sonne (the sun) is feminine, der Mond (the moon) masculine, das Mädchen (the girl) neuter. That’s why the gender has to be learnt with each word.
Which article is used in the plural?
Always die, for all three genders: die Tische, die Lampen, die Kinder. In the dative it’s den: mit den Kindern.
What happens if I get the article wrong?
People will understand you, but article mistakes stand out, and Goethe exams take marks off for them. The good news: the rules above let you guess the gender of more than half of new words.
What’s next
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See the wordsGerman level test
Grammar, vocabulary and reading from A1 to C1 — and your level of German.
Take the test
Grammar for this topic
Rules in plain words — with tables, examples and a quiz in every topic.
Accusative and dative
Whom? what? and to whom? — articles, pronouns, verbs and prepositions of the two cases.
Level A1–A2Adjective endings
der gute Mann, ein guter Mann, guter Wein — the three adjective declensions.
Level A2–B1The genitive: das Auto des Vaters
Das Auto meines Vaters, Annas Buch, wegen des Wetters — the genitive case, the -s ending and prepositions.
Level B1Relative clauses: der Mann, der…
Der Mann, den ich kenne; die Leute, mit denen ich arbeite — choosing the relative pronoun and placing the verb.
Level A2–B1
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