Noun Gender Rules
Suffix rules, semantic patterns, and common exceptions for determining German noun gender (der/die/das).
Overview
Every German noun has a grammatical gender: masculine (der), feminine (die), or neuter (das). While there are many exceptions, suffix rules cover a large percentage of nouns reliably.
The best strategy: learn the article with every new noun, but use these rules as helpful shortcuts.
Feminine Nouns (die)
Feminine nouns make up the most predictable group. These suffixes are almost always feminine:
Common Suffixes
| Suffix | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| -ung | die Wohnung | apartment |
| -heit | die Freiheit | freedom |
| -keit | die Möglichkeit | possibility |
| -schaft | die Freundschaft | friendship |
| -tion | die Nation | nation |
| -sion | die Diskussion | discussion |
| -ie | die Energie | energy |
| -enz | die Konferenz | conference |
| -anz | die Toleranz | tolerance |
| -ei | die Bäckerei | bakery |
| -in (female) | die Lehrerin | female teacher |
| -tät | die Universität | university |
Reliability
The suffixes -ung, -heit, -keit, and -schaft are virtually 100% reliable for feminine gender.
Masculine Nouns (der)
Common Suffixes
| Suffix | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| -er (agent) | der Lehrer | teacher |
| -ling | der FrĂĽhling | spring |
| -ismus | der Tourismus | tourism |
| -ig | der Honig | honey |
| -ich | der Teppich | carpet |
Semantic Categories
- Days, months, seasons: der Montag, der Januar, der Sommer
- Compass directions: der Norden, der SĂĽden
- Weather: der Regen, der Schnee
- Car brands: der BMW, der Mercedes
Neuter Nouns (das)
Common Suffixes
| Suffix | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| -chen | das Mädchen | girl |
| -lein | das BĂĽchlein | little book |
| -ment | das Dokument | document |
| -um | das Museum | museum |
| -nis | das Ergebnis | result |
Semantic Categories
- Diminutives (-chen, -lein): Always neuter, even if the base noun is feminine (die Frau → das Fräulein)
- Nominalized verbs: das Essen (eating/food), das Lernen (learning)
- Most metals: das Gold, das Silber
The -nis Exception
The suffix -nis can be either neuter or feminine:
- das Ergebnis (result), das Geheimnis (secret)
- die Kenntnis (knowledge), die Erlaubnis (permission)
Compound Nouns
The gender of a compound noun is always determined by the last word:
| Compound | Last Word | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| der Schlafzimmer | das Zimmer | das Schlafzimmer |
| die HaustĂĽr | die TĂĽr | die HaustĂĽr |
| das Briefkasten | der Kasten | der Briefkasten |
Ge- Prefix
Many nouns with the Ge- prefix are neuter:
- das Gebäude (building)
- das Geschenk (gift)
- das Getränk (drink)
But there are exceptions:
- der Gedanke (thought)
- die Geschichte (story/history)
Quick Reference
| Likely der | Likely die | Likely das |
|---|---|---|
| -er (agent) | -ung | -chen |
| -ling | -heit | -lein |
| -ismus | -keit | -ment |
| -ig | -schaft | -um |
| -ich | -tion/-sion | -nis (usually) |
| -ie, -ei | Ge- (usually) | |
| -enz/-anz | nominalized verbs | |
| -tät | ||
| -in (female) |