German: Noun Genders & Articles
This flashcard deck is designed to help you master German noun genders and their corresponding articles. Understanding gender is fundamental to speaking and writing grammatically correct German, as it influences not only articles but also adjective endings and pronouns. This deck covers essential rules, common patterns, and key exceptions, providing a solid foundation for your language learning journey.
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How many grammatical genders does German have?
Three: masculine, feminine and neuter.
What are the nominative definite articles for each gender?
Der (masculine), die (feminine), das (neuter).
What are the nominative indefinite articles for each gender?
Ein (masculine), eine (feminine), ein (neuter).
Which definite article do all plural nouns take in the nominative?
Die, whatever the singular gender.
What gender are nouns for male people?
Masculine: der Mann, der Lehrer.
What gender are nouns for female people?
Feminine: die Frau, die Lehrerin.
What gender are nouns ending in -heit, -keit, -schaft or -ung?
Feminine: die Freiheit, die Freundschaft, die Zeitung.
What gender are diminutives in -chen or -lein?
Always neuter: das Mädchen, das Fräulein.
What gender are infinitives used as nouns?
Neuter: das Essen, das Schwimmen.
What gender are days, months and seasons?
Masculine: der Montag, der Januar, der Sommer (but das Frühjahr).
What gender are nouns ending in -ismus?
Masculine: der Tourismus, der Kapitalismus.
What gender are nouns ending in -ling?
Masculine: der Frühling, der Schmetterling.
What gender are compass directions?
Masculine: der Norden, der Süden.
What gender are most nouns ending in -e?
Feminine (die Blume, die Straße), with exceptions such as der Junge and das Auge.
What gender are nouns ending in -um?
Usually neuter: das Museum, das Zentrum.
What gender are metals and colors used as nouns?
Mostly neuter: das Gold, das Rot.