This page was updated in September 2022.
Noun Genders in German
The three basic versions of the are der (masculine), die (feminine) and das (neuter). Inap from Deutsch with Inap explains the genders in this introductory video:
Apps and Quizzes
Here are some ideas and quizzes for learning the genders of German nouns, a task that is worth tackling from the first day of learning.
In this free app, the nouns are presented in logical and helpful categories. The app tracks your progress and helps you to learn the nouns themselves as well as their genders.
The makers of this app have also made a list of the rules that will help you to predict the gender of German nouns.
Quiz 1: The First 40 Essential Nouns with Their Genders and Plurals
This quiz introduces you to a selection of the first 40 essential nouns, with 10 under each topic shown: people, family, animals and internet. Some of the key rules and patterns are also explained.
You may decide to click on “Show me the answers” at the bottom of the quiz in order to look at the answers first, then try filling them in afterwards.
Quiz 2: The Second 40 Nouns with Their Genders and Plurals
This quiz introduces you to a selection of the second 40 essential nouns, with 10 under each topic shown: social relationships, daily existence, house and learning. Some of the key rules and patterns are also explained.
You may decide to click on “Show me the answers” at the bottom of the quiz in order to look at the answers first, then try filling them in afterwards.
Some Details About German Noun Genders
The information below was gleaned from Laura’s Grammarpod:
- 39% of German nouns are masculine, 35% feminine and 25% neuter.
- 90% of words ending in -e are feminine. There are however several important exceptions:
- der Junge – boy
- der Käse – cheese
- certain animals such as der Löwe (lion), der Affe (monkey), der Schimpanse (chimpanzee), der Rabe (raven) and der Hase (hare)
- some words for thought, such as der Gedanke (thought) der Glaube (belief)
- Words ending in -ung, -schaft, -keit, -heit, -tion and -zion are always feminine.
- Words ending in -chen and -lein are always neuter. This explains the odd fact that the word for girl is neuter: das Mädchen.
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