As it became clear from the previous lesson, in German, as in Russian, there are three genders of nouns: masculine, neuter and feminine. The gender indicator in speech is the article: der - for the masculine, das - for the middle, die - for the feminine.
In the dictionary, gender is indicated by three different letters: m - for masculine(from Maskulinum), f - to the feminine (Femininum), n - to the middle (from Neutrum).
Sometimes the gender of a noun can suggest its meaning: we are talking about the coincidence of biological and grammatical gender, for example, in the word die Frau - woman. However, the coincidence does not always occur, 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 remembered. However, in German there are a number of rules by which you can understand the gender of a noun.
Remember! Noun in German Always spelled with a big letters.
Formation of the feminine form
In German, there is a universal rule for the formation of feminine nouns, especially when it comes to professions, representatives of different nationalities, etc.: an 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 they do, then this form sounds humiliating or dismissive. For example, a doctor is a doctor. In German the suffix -in solves the problem : der Arzt - die Arztin (Doctor - Female doctor). No negative values female form der Arzt does not carry the word and is completely neutral.
The same rule includes nouns denoting nationalities.:
der Russe - die Russin (Russian - Russian)
der Engländer - die Engländerin (Englishman - Englishwoman)
Determining the gender of a noun
As mentioned above, the gender of a noun is specified in the dictionary. However, the word itself can also have characteristics of one kind or another. Let's consider the main ones.
On feminine(die) in German indicate:
- 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 males: die Erde (land), die Karte (ticket).
- Nouns ending in -ei (the suffix is stressed), -heit, -keit, -schaft, -ung (the suffix is not stressed), -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 .
- Names of trees and many types of flowers: die Espe (aspen), die Chrysantheme (chrysanthemum).
IMPORTANT: if the name of a tree ends with the word "baum" (der Baum - tree), this noun will be masculine. For example: der Kaffeebaum - coffee tree.
- Substantiated numerals (numerals that act as a noun): die Fünf (five), die Zehn (ten).
IMPORTANT: Numerals denoting the amount - middle kind.
- Names of the rivers of Germany: die Elbe - Elbe.
BUT: der Rhein - Rhine, der Main - Main, der Neckar - Neckar.
- The name of aircraft, ships, as well as brands of cigarettes.
die Boeing, die Titanic, die Kamel.
The masculine gender (der) in German is indicated by:
- Biological males and professions, as well as male animals: der Vater (father), der Lehrer (teacher), der Kater (cat).
- Names of seasons, months, days of the week:
der Winter (winter), der August (August), der Montag (Monday).
- Names of cardinal directions and precipitation:
der Norden (north), der Nebel (fog).
- Nouns ending in -ling, -el, -s, -ig, -ich, -s suffixes:
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 refer to males:
der Student (student), der Pianist (pianist), der Millionär (millionaire).
- Nouns formed from a verb that do not have additional suffixes:
der Lauf (running, from the word laufen - to run).
- Names of alcoholic beverages, as well as 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).
- Names of minerals, gems 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 (brook).
- Most nouns with suffixes -ir, -tum.
das Zeugnis (testimony), das Rittertum (chivalry).
- Most nouns with the prefix ge-.
das Gewitter (thunderstorm), das Gesicht (face).
- Verbs in the initial form that act as a noun.
das Lesen (reading), das Essen (food).
- The names of hotels, cafes, cinemas, as well as the 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).
To pin new material try the following exercises.
Tasks for the lesson
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, enter the required article (der is masculine, das is neuter, die is 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 .
Male (der Vater, der Held, der Kater, der Rabe)
2. Names of the seasons, months, days of the week, parts of the day (der Winter, der Januar, der Montag, der Abend)
3. Name of parts of the world (der Norden, der Osten)
4. Name of currencies (der Rubel, der Dollar)
5. Name (der Schnee, der Regen)
The feminine gender includes:
1. Animated female nouns (die Frau, die Katze, die Kuh)
2. Names of most fruits and berries (die Tanne, die Tulpe, die Birne)
3. Names of ships (die Titanik)
The middle class includes:
1. Name of children and cubs (das Kind, das Kalb)
2. Names of continents, countries, cities (das Europa, das Berlin, das Russland)
Determining the gender of nouns by word formation: The masculine gender includes:
1. Many monosyllabic verbal nouns (der Gang, der Klang)
2. Nouns with suffixes -e, -er, -ner, -ler, -ling, -el, -aner, -en (der Arbeiter, der Junge, der Lehrling, der Garten)
3. Borrowed nouns with suffixes -at, -et, -ant, -ent, -ist, -ismus, -ar, -ier, -eur, -or, -ot, -it (der Kapitalismus, der Aspirant, der Agronom )
The feminine gender includes:
1. Nouns with suffixes -in, -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -ei (die Malerei, die Lehrerin, die Kindheit, die Freundshaft)
2. Borrowed nouns with suffixes -el, -ei, -ie, -ik, -ion, -tion, -tat, -ur (die Melodie, die Aspirantur, die Revolution)
The middle class includes:
1. Nouns with suffixes -chen, -lein, -tel, -um (das Heldentum, das Hindernis)
2. Borrowed inanimate nouns with suffixes -ment, -nis, -ent, -at, -al (das Museum, das Dekanat)
3. Collective nouns with semi-suffixes –zeug, -werk, -gut (das Spielzeug, das Buschwerk)
Gender of compound nouns: The gender of compound nouns depends on the gender of the word being defined (usually the second part of the compound word)
die Eisenbahn = das Eisen (defining) + die Bahn (defining)
Genus of substantivized parts of speech: 1. The substantiated infinitive, conjunctions, prepositions, adverbs, interjections are neuter (das Lernen, das Aber)
2. Substantiated cardinal numbers are feminine (die Drei, die Acht)
Helpful advice
There are a number of exceptions to these rules. Therefore, if possible, when determining the gender of nouns in German, it is better to check with the dictionary.
Sources:
- how to determine the gender of nouns in german
Tip 2: How to determine the gender of nouns in German
There are three genders in German: masculine (das Maskulinum), feminine (das Femininum), and neuter (das Neutrum). When determining the gender of a noun, certain difficulties often arise, so you should be patient and try to remember some rules.
Instruction
One of the ways to determine the gender in is the gender by the meaning of the noun. The masculine gender includes the names of: - males der Brude, der Mann; - male animals der Bulle, der Hase; - male professions der Arzt, der Lehrer; - seasons , months, days of the week and parts of the day der Sommer, der Mittwoch, der Morgen, but das Fruhjahr, die Nacht; - parts of the world der Norden; der Westen;- natural phenomena der Hauch, der Nebel;- spirits and spirits der Rum, der Wein;- car brands der Ford, der Volga;- minerals, precious stones, rocks der Opal, der Sand, but die Kreide, die Perle;- some mountains , mountain ranges, peaks, volcanoes der Elbrus, but die Rhon, die Tatra;- many birds der Schwan, der Falke, but die Gans, die Drossel;- many fish and crayfish der Krebs, but die Sardine;- banknotes and der Pfennig , der Euro, but die Kopeke, die Lira.
The feminine gender includes the names of: - female persons die Mutter, die Schwester, but das Weib; - female animals die Bache, die Kuh, but das Huhn, der Panter; - professions die Lehrerin; - many ships, even if they are named male name, many aircraft, motorcycles (due to the fact that die Maschine) die Titanic, die TU-154, but der General san Martin. Names of ships derived from the names of animals, as a rule, retain their genus; - trees, except those on -baum die Erle, die Tanne, but der Baobab, der Ahorn; - flowers die Nelke, die Tulpe, but der Kaktus, das Veilchen;- fruits and vegetables die Tomate, die Birne, but der Apfel, der Spargel;- berries (most often those that end in -beere) die Brombeere, die Erdbeere;- cigarettes and cigars die Hawanna, die West;- German rivers, rivers of other countries ending in -a, -au, -e die Spree, die Wolga. The exception is the names of German rivers: der Rhein, der Main, der Neckar, der Lech, der Regen. Most of the names of rivers in other countries, as well as seas and oceans, are masculine: der Ganges, der Atlantik, but die Norsee, die Ostsee; - most insects die Laus, die Spinne, but der Floh, der Kakerlak.
Der, die or das? How to define articles in German? When to use the definite or indefinite article? How to determine the gender of a noun and how to use German articles? Almost all German nouns are preceded by a small word that scares even native speakers, but we can’t be scared, we’ll analyze it in our video and article.
Nouns in German, as well as in Russian, have a gender category - masculine, feminine or neuter. At the same time, the gender of nouns in German and Russian often does not coincide. For example:
das house- neuter, and house- male
die Fliese- feminine, and tile- male
Therefore, nouns must be memorized with the article, which indicates the gender of the noun. Remembering the gender of nouns is often difficult, but many nouns have some features that help determine the gender of these nouns. The gender of nouns can be determined:
- by the meaning of the word;- according to the method of word formation (according to the form of the word).
1.1. Masculine (by meaning)
Male persons - der Mann(man), der Junge(boy)
- male animals der Bar(bear)
- sides of the world - der Norden(north)
- Seasons - sommer(summer), der Winter(winter)
- the names of the months - der Januar(January), der Mai(May), September(September)
- days of the week - der Montag(Monday), der Mittwoch(Wednesday), der Sonntag(Sunday)
- times of day der Morgen(morning), But die Nacht(night)
- precipitation - der Regen(rain), der Schnee(snow)
- minerals - der Granite(granite)
- stones - der Rubin(ruby)
- mountain names der Harz(harz)
- names of lakes - der Baikal(Baikal)
- alcohol - der Wodka(vodka), der Sekt(sparkling wine), but Das Bier(beer)
- monetary units - der Euro(euro) but die Kopeke(penny), die Crown(crown), die Mark(brand)
- celestial bodies der Mond(moon) but die Venus(Venus), die Sonne(Sun)
- names of car brands - der Opel, der BMW
1.2. Masculine (by form)
-er– der Fahrer (driver)
-ler - der Sportler (athlete)
-ner-der Gärtner (gardener)
-ling- der Lehrling (student)
-s - der Fuchs (fox)
Note: do not confuse the suffix <-er> in derivative nouns with words whose root ends in <-er> : die Mutter, die Tochter, das Fenster, etc.
Foreign words (mostly animate) with suffixes:
-ent - der Student (student)
-ant - der Laborant (lab assistant)
-ist - der Publizist (publicist)
-et - der Poet (poet)
-ot - der Pilot (pilot)
-at - der Candidate (candidate)
-soph - der Philosoph (philosopher)
-nom - der Astronom (astronomer)
-graph - der Photograph (photographer)
-eur - der Ingenieur (engineer)
-ier - der Pionier (pioneer)
-ar - der Jubilar (jubilee)
-är - der Sekretär (secretary)
-or - der Doktor (doctor)
Note: inanimate nouns with suffixes <-ent>, <-at>, <-et> can be both masculine and neuter: der Kontinent - das Patent, der Apparat - das Referat, der Planet - das Alphabet.
Nouns formed from the root of verbs without a suffix (often with a change in the root vowel)der Gang - (from ge hen)
der Gru ß - (from grü ßen)
der Sprung - (from spri ngen), But Das Spiel
2.1. Feminine (by meaning)
- female faces die Frau(woman) but das Mädchen (see neuter gender)- female animals die Kuh(cow) but Das Huhn(chicken), Das Schaf(sheep)
- names of trees - die Birke(birch), But der Ahorn(maple)
- color names die Aster(aster), Butder Mohn(poppy), der Kactus(cactus)
- names of berries - die Himbeere(raspberries)
name of fruits and vegetables die Byrne(pear), But der Apfel(apple), der Pfirsich(peach), der Kohl(cabbage), der Kurbis(pumpkin)
- most German rivers - die Elbe, die Oder, die Spree, But der Rhein, der Main, der Neckar
2.2. Feminine (by form)
Nouns with suffixes:-in die Laborantin (lab assistant)
-ung—die Übung (exercise)
-heit—die Freiheit (freedom)
-keit—die Möglichkeit (opportunity)
-schaft —die Landschaft (landscape)
-ei—die Malerei (painting)
Foreign words with stressed suffixes:
-ie—die Chemie (chemistry)
-tät—die Universität (university)
-tion -die Station (station)
-ur—die Kultur (culture)
-ik—die Physik (physics)
-age --die Reportage (reportage)
-ade —die Fassade (facade)
-anz—die Ambulanz (outpatient clinic)
-enz —die Existenz (existence)
Most nouns with a suffix -e (mostly double sided):
die liebe (love)
die Kalte (cold)
die Hilfe (help)
die Lampe (lamp)
Note: there are also a number of nouns male ending in -e: der Kollege, der Russe, der Junge, der Name, der Gedanke, der Käse and several nouns neuter: das Ende, das Interesse, das Auge.
Nouns formed from verbs with a suffix -t:
die Fahrt (riding)
die Kunst (art)
die macht (power)
Related cheat sheets to keep yourself and enjoy:
3.2. Neuter gender (by form)
Nouns with suffixes:-chen—das Mädchen (girl)
-lein—das Tischlein (table)
-(s)tel -das Fünftel (one fifth)
Most nouns with suffixes:
-tum
das Eigentum (property), But der Reichtum, der Irrtum-nis
das Verhältnis (attitude), But die Kenntnis, die Erlaubnis
Foreign words (objects and abstract concepts) ending in:
-(i)um—das Stadium (stadium)
-ett —das Kabinett (cabinet)
-ment --das Document (document)
-ma—das Drama (drama)
-o —das Kino (cinema)
Nouns with a prefix Ge- :
das Gewasser (waters)
das Gebirge (mountain range)
das Ge mälde (painting)
Substantivized infinitives:
das Laufen (run) - from laufen (run)
das Lesen (reading) - from lesen (to read)
A noun in German, as in Russian, has a category of gender: masculine, feminine or neuter. At the same time, the gender of nouns in German and Russian often does not coincide. Therefore, nouns must be memorized with the article, which indicates the gender of the noun.
Remembering the gender of nouns is often difficult. However, many nouns have some features that help determine the gender of these nouns. The gender of nouns can be determined:
- according to the meaning of the word
- in the form of a word
Masculine by value:
- male persons | der Mann (male) |
- male animals | der Bär (bear) |
- sides of the world | der Norden (north) |
- Seasons | der Sommer (summer) |
- month names | der Januar (January) |
- days of the week | der Montag (Monday) |
- times of day | der Morgen (morning) But die Nacht (night) |
- precipitation | der Regen (rain) |
– minerals | der Granit (granite) |
- stones | der Rubin (ruby) |
- mountain names | der Harz (Harz) |
- names of lakes | der Baikal (Baikal) |
- alcohol | der Wodka (vodka), But das bier (beer) |
- monetary units | der Euro (euro), But die Kopeke (penny), die Krone (crown), die Mark (mark) |
- celestial bodies | der Mond (moon) But die Venus (Venus) |
- brand names | der Opel, der BMW |
Masculine in form:
-er | der Fahrer (driver) |
-ler | der Sportler (athlete) |
-ner | der Gartner (gardener) |
-ling | der Lehrling (student) |
-s | der Fuchs (fox) |
Note: do not confuse the suffix -er in derivative nouns with words whose root ends in -er: die Mutter, die Tochter, das Fenster, etc.
- Foreign words (mostly animate) with suffixes: | |
-ent | der Student (student) |
-ant | der Laborant (laboratory assistant) |
-ist | der Publicist (publicist) |
-et | der Poet (poet) |
-ot | der Pilot (pilot) |
-at | der Candidate (candidate) |
-soph | der Philosoph (philosopher) |
-nom | der Astronom (astronomer) |
-graph | der Photograph (photographer) |
-eur | der Ingenieur (engineer) |
-ier | der Pionier (pioneer) |
-ar | der Jubilar (jubilee) |
-ar | der Sekretär (Secretary) |
-or | der Doctor (doctor) |
Note: inanimate nouns with suffixes -ent, -at,-et can be both masculine and neuter: der Kontinent - das Patent, der Apparat - das Referat, der Planet - das Alphabet.
Feminine by value:
- female faces | die Frau (female) But das Madchen |
- female animals | die Kuh (cow), But das Huhn (chicken), das Schaf (sheep) |
- tree names | die Birke (birch), But der Ahorn |
- color names | die Aster (aster), But der Mohn (poppy), der Kaktus (cactus) |
- names of berries | die Himbeere (raspberry) |
- names of fruits and vegetables | die Birne (pear), But der Apfel (apple), der Pfirsich (peach), der Kohl (cabbage), der Kürbis (pumpkin) |
- most German rivers | die Elbe, die Oder, die Spree,Butder Rhein, der Main, der Neckar |
Feminine in form:
— Nouns with suffixes: | |
-in | die Laborantin (lab assistant) |
-ung | die Übung (exercise) |
-heit | die Freiheit (freedom) |
-keit | die Möglichkeit (opportunity) |
-schaft | die Landschaft (landscape) |
-ei | die Malerei (painting) |
- Foreign words with stressed suffixes: | |
-ie | die Chemie (chemistry) |
-tat | die Universität (university) |
-tion | die Station (station) |
-ur | die Kultur (culture) |
-ik | die Physik (physics) |
-age | die Reportage |
-ade | die Fassade (facade) |
-anz | die Ambulanz (outpatient clinic) |
-enz | die Existenz (existence) |
Note: there are also a number of nouns male ending in -e: der Kollege, der Russe, der Junge, der Name, der Gedanke, der Käse and several nouns neuter: das Ende, das Interesse, das Auge.
neuter by value:
- names of children and cubs | das Kind (child), das Lamm (lamb) |
— metals and alloys | das Silber (silver) But der Stahl (steel), die Bronze (bronze) |
- chemical elements | das Chlor (chlorine), But der Schwefel (sulphur), der Phosphor (phosphorus) |
- continents | (das) Africa, But die Arktis (Arctic), die Antarktis (Antarctic) |
- countries | (das) Deutschland, Butder Iran, der Iraq, der Sudan, die BRD, die Schweiz, die Türkei, die Mongolei, die Ukraine, die USA |
- cities | (das) Moscow, But der Haag |
- the names of the islands | (das) Rugen, But die Krim (Crimea) |
- physical units | das Kilowatt (kilowatt) |
- languages | das Russisch (Russian language) |
Middle gender in form:
- Foreign words (objects and abstract concepts) ending in: | |
-(i)um | das Stadium (stadium) |
-ett | das Kabinett (cabinet) |
-ment | das Document (document) |
-ma | das Drama (drama) |
-o | das Kino (cinema) |
— Substantiated infinitives: | das Laufen (run) - from laufen (run) |
These are almost all the rules for determining the gender of a noun in German. However, do not forget that not all nouns fit these rules. The surest way not to get confused when assigning a noun to one gender or another is to simply learn it with the article!
The gender of compound nouns depends on the gender of the main word. The first part of the word is called the defining word, the last part of the compound word is called the main word.
Der Kuchen schrank(kitchen cabinet, kitchen sideboard) = die Küche (kitchen) + der Schrank (cupboard)
The main word of a compound noun can only be a noun. Various parts of speech act as a defining word: a noun in singular(die Tischlampe - table lamp) and plural (der Kräutertee - herbal tea), verb (das Schlafzimmer - bedroom), adjective in short form (der Kurzstreik - short-term strike), preposition (das Nebenamt - part-time position).
Words that make up a compound noun are attached to each other either directly (das Schlafzimmer) or with the help of connecting elements - (e) s (die Lebensmittel), - (e) n (der Küchenschrank).
The gender of compound words also depends on the main word: der PKW = der Personenkraftwagen - a car. In German, some words are abbreviated so that only some part of the word remains - the beginning or the end. For example, die Universität (university) - die Uni, der Autobus (bus) - der Bus. A word abbreviated in this way retains the gender of the full word.
Some nouns have different meanings depending on the gender:
- der See (lake) - die See (sea),
- der Band (volume) - das Band (tape),
- das Steuer (rudder, steering wheel) - die Steuer (tax),
- der Leiter (head) - die Leiter (ladder),
- der Tor (fool) - das Tor (gate),
- der Schild (shield) - das Schild (signboard, tablet),
- der Bauer (peasant) - das Bauer (cage)
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a. by semantic meaning
- male persons:
der Mann - man, der Onkel - uncle; - male animals:
der Bär - bear, der Hahn - rooster; - names of countries of the world, lakes, mountains and winds:
der Osten - East, der Bodensee - Lake Constance,
der Harz - Harz, der Taifun - typhoon; - names of the seasons, months and days of the week:
der Sommer - summer, der Januar - January, der Sonntag - Sunday.
b. in form
- nouns with suffixes -er, -neg, -ler, -ling:
der Schlosser - locksmith, der Redner - speaker,
der Sportler - athlete, der Lehrling - student; - most of the nouns formed from the stem of the verb without adding a suffix:
der Lauf (run) - from laufen (run)
der Sprung (jump) - from springen (to jump); - foreign (borrowed from other languages) nouns with suffixes -ist, -ent, -ant, -eur, -är, -or, -ismus:
der Polizist, der Student, der Aspirant, der Ingenieur, der Militär, der Doktor, der Egoismus.
The feminine gender in German is:
a. by semantic meaning
- nouns denoting:
- female persons:
die Frau - woman, die Tante - aunt.
Exception: das Mädchen - girl, girl, das Weib - woman, woman; - some female animals:
die Kuh - cow, die Katze - cat.
Exception: das Schaf - sheep; - names of most flowers, trees and songbirds:
die Rose - rose, die Tanne - spruce, die Eiche - oak,
die Lerche - lark, die Nachtigall - nightingale; - names of most German rivers:
die Elbe - Elbe, die Spree - Spree, die Saale - Hall, etc.
Exception: der Rhein, der Main, der Neckar, der Inn; - river names that have feminine equivalents in Russian:
die Wolga - Volga, die Oka - Oka, die Kama - Kama ( with the exception of: der Ob - Ob).
b. in form
- nouns with suffixes -in, -ung, -keit, -heit, -schaft, -ei:
- -in:
die Sängerin - singer
die Bärin - she-bear - - ung:
die Forderung - requirement
die Zeitung - newspaper - - keith:
die Möglichkeit - opportunity
die Richtigkeit - correctness - - heit:
die Kindheit - childhood
die Neuheit - news - - schaft:
die Wirtschaft - household
die Bereitschaft - readiness - -ei:
die Bäckerei - bakery
die Bücherei - library;
- borrowed nouns with suffixes -ie, -ik, -ion, -tion, -tat, -ur:
die Chemie, die Mathematik, die Million, die Organization, die Fakultät, die Natur.
The neuter gender in German includes:
a. by semantic meaning
- names of parts of the world, countries and cities:
(das) Europa - Europe, (das) China - China, (das) Belgien - Belgium,
(das) München - Munich, (das) Prag - Prague, etc.
Exception: country names ending in -ei, -au:
die Mongolei - Mongolia, die Moldau - Moldova, and also die Schweiz - Switzerland,
der Iran - Iran, die Ukraine - Ukraine and some others; - metal names:
das Eisen - iron, das Gold - gold, etc.
Exception: der Stahl - steel, der Schwefel - sulfur; - names of children (baby animals):
das Kind - child, das Kalb - calf, das Lamm - lamb, etc.; - letter names:
das "A", das "Z".
b. in form
- diminutive nouns with suffixes -chen, -lein and with suffixes -tel, -tum:
das Häuschen - house, das Büchlein - little book,
das Viertel - quarter, das Eigentum - property; - nouns formed from adjectives with a suffix -e and denoting abstract concepts:
das Neue - new, das Interessante - interesting; - borrowed nouns with suffix -um, -ment:
das Museum - museum, das Dokument - document.
- Some German nouns with the same spelling and pronunciation have different meanings depending on the gender:
- die See (sea) - der See (lake);
die Steuer (tax) - das Steuer (rudder), etc.
The gender of nouns in German and Russian often does not match, so it is necessary to memorize nouns with a definite article.
Compare:
- das Pferd (neuter) - horse (feminine);
der Hund (masculine) - dog (feminine);
der Baum (masculine) - tree (neuter);
die Stunde (feminine) - lesson (masculine);
der Spiegel (masculine) - mirror (neuter), etc.
- The gender of any noun can be checked in a dictionary. In dictionaries, the following abbreviations are used to indicate the gender of a noun:
- m(from Latin word masculinum- masculine);
- f(from the Latin word femininum- feminine gender);
- n(from the Latin word neutrum- neuter gender).
