If you've ever studied German, you know that nouns in this language are divided into three genders: masculine, feminine and neuter. Why know the gender of a noun? It's simple. Without gender, you will not be able to correctly use a word in a sentence.
In this article, you will learn how easy it is to determine the gender of a German noun, even if you have met it for the first time.
How to recognize the gender of a German noun by the definite article
If you come across a new noun, you can recognize its gender by the definite article. Each of the three genders in German has its own article.
How to recognize the gender of a German noun by suffix
The article method is effective, but what if the noun does not have an article? In this case, the form of the word will help you. Some suffixes correspond to one of three genders.
Masculine gender
Remember that -er is not always a masculine suffix. Sometimes -er can be part of a feminine or neuter noun root. Example: die Mutter (mother) or das Fenster (window).
Feminine
Neuter gender
How to find out the gender of a German noun by meaning
If you cannot recognize the gender of a noun by form or article, the meaning of the word can help you. The fact is that many groups of nouns have only one gender.
Masculine gender
Feminine
Neuter gender
Determining the gender of nouns together
We have paid enough attention to theory, now it is time to apply new knowledge in practice.
Exercise 1: Determine the gender of the noun by the article.
Exercise 2: Determine the gender of the noun by the suffix.
Exercise # 3: Determine the gender of the noun by meaning.
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As it became clear from the previous lesson, in German, as in Russian, there are three kinds of nouns: masculine, neuter and feminine. The gender indicator in speech is the article: der - for masculine, das - for neuter, die - for feminine.
In the dictionary, the gender is indicated by three different letters: m - masculine (from Maskulinum), f - feminine (Femininum), n - middle (from Neutrum).
Sometimes the gender of a noun can tell its meaning: we are talking about the coincidence of biological and grammatical gender, for example, in the word die Frau - a woman. However, the coincidence does not always happen, for example, the word das Mädchen (girl) in German, as you can see from the article, is neuter.
The gender of many nouns largely coincides with Russian, but some of the words just need to be memorized. However, in German there are a number of rules by which you can understand the gender of a noun.
Remember! German noun always written with a big letters.
Formation of the feminine form
In the German language there is a universal rule for the formation of feminine nouns, especially when it comes to professions, representatives of different nationalities, etc.: the article must be added to the masculine noun die and suffix -in... Example:
der Student - die Studentin (student - student)
der Lehrer - die Lehrerin (teacher - teacher)
der König - die Königin (king - queen)
der Löwe - die Löwin (lion - lioness)
It is interesting to note that in Russian many nouns do not have a feminine form, and if there is, then this form sounds demeaning or dismissive. For example, a doctor is a doctor. In German, the suffix -in solves the problem : der Arzt - die Arztin (Doctor - Woman Doctor). The feminine form of the word der Arzt does not carry any negative meanings and is completely neutral.
Nouns denoting nationalities can be attributed to the same rule:
der Russe - die Russin (Russian - Russian)
der Engländer - die Engländerin (Englishman - Englishwoman)
Determine the gender of a noun
As mentioned above, the gender of the noun is indicated in the dictionary. However, the word itself can also have characteristics of one kind or another. Let's consider the main ones.
The feminine gender (die) in German is indicated by:
- Suffix -in: die Arztin (female doctor), die Engländerin (Englishwoman).
- Nouns denoting women and girls, as well as feminine animals: die Mutter (mother), die Schwester (sister), die Katze (cat). EXCEPTION: das Mädchen is a girl.
- The ending e for nouns that do not indicate a male person: die Erde (land), die Karte (ticket).
- Nouns ending in suffixes -ei (the stress falls on the suffix), -heit, -keit, -schaft, -ung (the stress on the suffix does not fall), -ik, -tion (stressed), -ur, -ät. These nouns denote abstract phenomena and concepts:
die Backerei (bakery), die Freiheit (freedom), die Ewigkeit (eternity), die Bereitschaft (readiness), die Übung (exercise), die Musik (music), die Nation (nation), die Natur (nature), die Universität ...
- The names of trees and many types of flowers: die Espe (aspen), die Chrysantheme (chrysanthemum).
IMPORTANT: if the name of the tree ends with the word "baum" (der Baum - tree), this noun will be masculine. For example: der Kaffeebaum is a coffee tree.
- Substantiated numbers (numbers that act as a noun): die Fünf (five), die Zehn (ten).
IMPORTANT: Numbers denoting quantity - middle kind.
- The names of the rivers in Germany: die Elbe - Elbe.
BUT: der Rhein - Rhine, der Main - Main, der Neckar - Neckar.
- Names of aircraft, ships, and brands of cigarettes.
die Boeing, die Titanic, die Kamel.
The masculine gender (der) in German is indicated by:
- Persons of a biological masculine gender and profession, as well as male animals: der Vater (father), der Lehrer (teacher), der Kater (cat).
- The names of the seasons, months, days of the week:
der Winter (winter), der August (August), der Montag (Monday).
- Names of cardinal points and precipitation:
der Norden (north), der Nebel (fog).
- Nouns ending with the suffixes -ling, -el, -s, -ig, -ich, -s:
der Zwilling (twin), der Honig (honey), der Krebs (cancer
- Words, usually of foreign origin, ending in the suffixes -ant, -ent, -ist, -loge, -eur, -är, -or, -ismus, -eur / ör. These nouns denote males:
der Student (student), der Pianist (pianist), der Millionär (millionaire).
- Nouns formed from a verb without additional suffixes:
der Lauf (running, from the word laufen - to run).
- The names of spirits, tea and coffee:
der Wein (wine), der Wodka (vodka), der Tee (tea).
BUT: das Bier (beer).
- Car brands:
der Opel, der Mercedes
- Mountain names:
der Elbrus (Elbrus).
- The names of minerals, gemstones and rocks:
der Smaragd (emerald), der Marmor (marble).
The neuter gender (das) in German is indicated by:
- Nouns with diminutive suffixes -chen, -lein.
das Mädchen, das Bächlein (trickle).
- Most nouns with the suffixes -ir, -tum.
das Zeugnis (testimony), das Rittertum (chivalry).
- Most nouns with the prefix ge-.
das Gewitter (thunderstorm), das Gesicht (face).
- Initial verbs that act as nouns.
das Lesen (reading), das Essen (food).
- The names of hotels, cafes, cinemas, as well as the very words das Hotel (hotel, hotel), das Cafe (cafe), das Kino (cinema).
- Borrowings with suffixes -ett, -il, -ma, -o, -um.
das Paket package, parcel, das Exil (exile), das Klima (climate), das Konto (bank account), das Zentrum (center).
Try the following exercises to reinforce your new material.
Lesson assignments
Exercises 1. Form feminine nouns from the following words:
Der Schüler, der Lehrer, der Arzt, der Student, der König, der Kellner, der Verkäufer, der Russe.
Exercise 2. Determine the gender of the noun, write in the desired article (der - masculine, das - neuter, die - feminine).
… Cafe,… Opel,… Druckerei,… Lesen,… Rubin,… Kommunist,… Klima,… Schnee,… Realität,… Wohnung,… Museum,… Geschwindigkeit,… Gedicht,… Vater,… Politik,… Schnelligkeit,… Liebe ...
Answer 1:
Die Schülerin, die Lehrerin, die Arztin, die Studentin, die Königin, die Kellnerin, die Verkäuferin, die Russin.
das Cafe, der Opel, die Druckerei, das Lesen, der Rubin, der Kommunist, das Klima, der Schnee, die Realität, die Wohnung, das Museum, die Geschwindigkeit, das Gedicht, der Vater, die Politik, die Schnelligkeit, die Liebe ...
Nouns in German, as in Russian, can be of three genders: masculine, feminine and neuter:
der (ein) Mann (m) - male (masculine - Maskulinum),
die (eine) Frau (f) - woman (feminine - Femininum),
das (ein) Fenster (n) - window (neuter - Neutrum).
Gender in German, as you can see, is expressed through the article.
The man will, of course, be masculine, and the woman will be feminine.
But with inanimate objects it is already more difficult. They, as in Russian, are not at all necessarily of the middle, "neutral" genus, but belong to different genders. Cupboard in Russian for some reason a man, and shelf- a woman, although they have no sexual characteristics. The same is in German. The trouble is that the gender in Russian and in German often does not coincide, that the Germans see the sex of objects differently. Maybe (by chance) coincide, maybe not. For example, der Schrank (wardrobe)- male, das Regal (shelf)- average.das Weib (woman, woman) and das Mädchen (girl, girl) are neuter.
You should try to remember the word in German with the article!
Sometimes you can guess from the form of a word what kind it is. For example, by how the word ends. As in Russian, words on -ost, - tion, - ia, - th, - tsa, - ka, - a ...- feminine and German words ending in:
die Melo die- melody, die Situa tion- situation, die Kult ur- culture, die Tend enz - trend, die Speziali tät- a traditional dish (of a region), die Maler ei- painting, die Fest ung- fortress, die Frei heit- freedom, die Möglich keit- opportunity, die Wissen schaft- the science…
Some suffixes, which in Russian correspond to the masculine gender, in German, on the contrary, are a sign of the feminine gender: die Reg ion - region, die Diagn ose- diagnosis, die Gar age- garage…
Words ending in -e, most often feminine: die Wanne – bath, die Woche - a week. it -e matches the Russian ending -and I). But in Russian there are also masculine words with a similar ending (uncle, cabin boy). Likewise in German: der Junge is a boy.
Also note that the words on -ling always masculine: Lehr ling (apprentice, apprentice).
Many monosyllabic (sometimes two-syllable - because of the prefix) nouns formed from verbs belong to the masculine gender:
der Beginn< – beginnen (начало – начинать), der Blick < – blicken (взгляд, вид – взглянуть), der Klang < – klingen (звук – звучать), der Begriff < – begreifen (понятие – понимать), der Sieg < – siegen (победа – побеждать). But: das spiel< – spielen (игра – играть).
It also greatly facilitates the fact that you can take any verb in an indefinite form and attach a neuter article to it. The name of the process will be obtained:
das Sprechen< – sprechen (говорение – говорить), das Leben < – leben (жизнь – жить), das Essen < – essen (еда – есть).
Signs that a word is masculine:
Signs that a word is feminine:
Signs that a word is neuter:
Interestingly, some nouns have different meanings depending on gender. For example:
der See (lake) - die See (sea),
der Band (volume) - das Band (tape),
das Steuer (steering wheel, steering wheel) - die Steuer (tax),
der Leiter (leader) - die Leiter (ladder),
der Tor (fool) - das Tor (gate),
der Schild (shield) - das Schild (sign, plaque),
der Bauer (peasant) - das Bauer (cage)
