German II
September 11, 2003
Gender
All German nouns have a grammatical gender.
Der masculine
Die feminine
Das neuter
The grammatical gender of people usually corresponds to biological gender.
Der Mann die
Frau das
Baby
Der Vater die Mutter das
Kind
Exceptions:
Das Mädchen das
Fräulein
Masculine
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Nouns referring to male people,
their professions and their nationalities.
Der Lehrer der Ingenieur der Deutsche
Names of the days of the week, months and seasons are masculine. .
Der Montag der Januar der Frühling
The four points of the compass
Der Norden der Osten der Westen der Süden
Neuter
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Usually nouns referring to young persons or animals.
Das Kind das Kalb das Lamm
Nouns ending with the diminutive suffixes –chen and –lein
are always neuter. Both impart the meaning dear or small. Both usually cause
the base word to add an umlaut.
Das Mädchen das Heftchen das Büchlein
Infinitives used as nouns.
Das Fahren das Wandern das Rauchen
Names of towns and cities, and most states, countries and continents are neuter.
The article is only used when the name is modified.
Das unruhige Los Angeles
Die riesengroße Kanada
Exceptions:
Die Türkei Turkey
Die Schweiz Switzerland
Die Vereinigten Staaten (pl) The United States
Die USA (pl) USA
Die Niederlande (pl) The
Netherlands
Der Iran Iran
Der Irak Iraq
Feminine
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Nouns referring to female people, their professions and their nationalities,
often formed by adding the suffix -in to the masculine noun, are feminine.
Die Lehrerin die Deutsche die Ingenieurin
Most nouns ending in unstressed –e are feminine.
Die Maschine die Sonne die Minute
Exceptions:
Das Ende das
Auge der
Name
Nouns ending in the suffixes –ei, -ie, -ik, -ion, -heit, -keit,
-schaft, -tät, -ung, and –ur are always
feminine.
die Bäckerei
die Freundlichkeit
die Psychologie
die Gesellschaft
die Mathematik
die Universität
die Religion
die Zeitung
die Krankheit
die Kultur
Nouns with two genders
A few German nouns have two genders and, accordingly, two different meanings.
Der See –n lake
die
See –n sea
Der Leiter - director die
Leiter –n ladder
Der Tor –en fool das
Tor –e gate, goal in a game
Der Band, Bände book volume das Band,
Bänder ribbon
Das Steuer - steering wheel die
Steuer –n tax
Exercise
Fill in the correct definite article.