German words with gender

Published: January 25, 2025Last updated: February 22, 2025german, german article, German words

In German, nouns are assigned one of three grammatical genders: masculine (der), feminine (die), or neuter (das). While some gender assignments seem logical due to historical or linguistic patterns, others may appear arbitrary.
Below is an explanation for each word with an attempt to provide reasonable causes or patterns for their gender:

Rules for der

Gender	Endings/Categories	Examples
der	-er (often for male professions or tools)	der Lehrer (teacher), der Hammer (hammer)
	-el	der Apfel (apple), der Vogel (bird)
	-ig	der Honig (honey), der König (king)
	-ling	der Frühling (spring), der Schmetterling (butterfly)
	-ich	der Teppich (carpet), der Pfirsich (peach)
	-ismus (ideologies or movements)	der Kapitalismus (capitalism), der Tourismus (tourism)
	-or (often for male roles or objects)	der Doktor (doctor), der Motor (motor)
	-ant	der Elefant (elephant), der Demonstrant (protester)
	-ent	der Student (student), der Präsident (president)
	-us (often masculine)	der Bus (bus), der Fokus (focus)
	Male beings	der Mann (man), der Vater (father), der Junge (boy)
	Days, months, seasons	der Montag (Monday), der Januar (January), der Sommer (summer)
	Cardinal directions	der Norden (north), der Süden (south)
	Alcoholic beverages	der Wein (wine), der Schnaps (liquor)
	Many weather terms	der Regen (rain), der Schnee (snow)
	Exceptions	der Käse (cheese), der See (lake)

Rules for die

Gender	Endings/Categories	Examples
die	-e (most nouns ending in -e are feminine)	die Lampe (lamp), die Katze (cat)
	-heit	die Freiheit (freedom), die Gesundheit (health)
	-keit	die Möglichkeit (possibility), die Schnelligkeit (speed)
	-ung	die Zeitung (newspaper), die Wohnung (apartment)
	-in (female professions or beings)	die Lehrerin (female teacher), die Freundin (female friend)
	-ei	die Bäckerei (bakery), die Bücherei (library)
	-schaft	die Freundschaft (friendship), die Mannschaft (team)
	-tät	die Universität (university), die Realität (reality)
	-ion	die Nation (nation), die Diskussion (discussion)
	-ik	die Musik (music), die Politik (politics)
	-ur	die Natur (nature), die Kultur (culture)
	-ade, -age, -anz, -enz	die Limonade (lemonade), die Garage (garage), die Eleganz (elegance)
	Female beings	die Frau (woman), die Mutter (mother), die Tochter (daughter)
	Many fruits and trees	die Banane (banana), die Birne (pear), die Eiche (oak tree)
	Exceptions	die Butter (butter), die Antwort (answer)

Rules for das

Gender	Endings/Categories	Examples
das	-chen (diminutives)	das Mädchen (girl), das Häuschen (little house)
	-lein (diminutives)	das Fräulein (young lady), das Büchlein (little book)
	-um	das Museum (museum), das Zentrum (center)
	-ment	das Dokument (document), das Experiment (experiment)
	-nis	das Ergebnis (result), das Zeugnis (certificate)
	-tum	das Eigentum (property), das Christentum (Christianity)
	-o (often neuter)	das Auto (car), das Kino (cinema)
	-ing (borrowed from English)	das Training (training), das Marketing (marketing)
	Young beings	das Kind (child), das Baby (baby)
	Metals and chemical elements	das Gold (gold), das Eisen (iron), das Wasserstoff (hydrogen)
	Letters of the alphabet	das A, das B, das C
	Infinitive nouns (gerunds)	das Schwimmen (swimming), das Lesen (reading)
	Most hotels, cafes, and restaurants	das Hotel (hotel), das Café (cafe), das Restaurant (restaurant)
	Exceptions	das Mädchen (girl), das Herz (heart)

Masculine (der):

Word	Explanation
der Computer (the computer):	Computers are often associated with tools or devices, which are typically masculine in German.
der Drucker (the printer):	Derived from the verb drucken (to print), many tool-related nouns are masculine.
der Kugelschreiber (the ballpoint pen):	Compound noun: Kugel (sphere) + Schreiber (writer). Masculine because Schreiber (writer, a person or tool) is masculine.
der Kuli (the pen):	Shortened form of Kugelschreiber. The gender remains masculine, as it’s the same object.
der Tisch (the table):	Tables and furniture items like chairs (but not cabinets) are often masculine.
der Schreibtisch (the desk):	Compound noun: Schreiben (to write) + Tisch (table). It inherits the masculine gender from Tisch.
der Bleistift (the pencil):	Compound noun: Blei (lead) + Stift (pen or stylus). Masculine because Stift is masculine.
der Laptop (the laptop):	Loanword from English. Many devices borrowed into German are assigned masculine gender.
der Papierkorb (the wastepaper basket):	Compound noun: Papier (paper) + Korb (basket). Masculine because Korb is masculine.
der Stuhl (the chair):	Chairs are considered tools or objects of utility, aligning with masculine nouns.
der Apfel, Äpfel (the apple):	Masculine gender is common for specific fruits, with “Äpfel” showing a vowel change (umlaut) typical for some masculine nouns in plural.
der Käse (ohne Plural) (the cheese):	Masculine gender suits some food items, especially those seen as distinct products, and it’s a mass noun, so no plural is used.

Feminine (die):

Word	Explanation
die Uhr (the clock/watch):	Objects measuring time (Uhr) are traditionally feminine in German.
die Zeitung (the newspaper):	Ends with -ung, a common suffix for feminine nouns.
die Lampe (the lamp):	Ends with -e, which is often indicative of feminine nouns.
die Schublade (the drawer):	Ends with -e, and drawers are often categorized as feminine containers.
die Tasse (the cup):	Ends with -e, and cups are considered feminine (possibly because containers can symbolize nurturing or “holding”).
die Butter (ohne Plural) (the butter):	Feminine gender is typical for spreads or substances in German, and it’s a mass noun, so it lacks a plural form.
die Marmelade, -n (the jam):	Feminine gender fits many food spreads, and the plural “-n” is a frequent ending for feminine nouns ending in “-e.”
die Orange, -n (the orange):	Feminine gender aligns with many fruit names derived from adjectives or loanwords, and “-n” is a standard plural for feminine nouns ending in “-e.”
die Wurst, Würste (the sausage):	Feminine gender fits many elongated food items, with “Würste” showing a typical plural form for feminine nouns with an umlaut shift.

Neuter (das):

Word	Explanation
das Papier (the paper):	Material nouns (like paper, glass, or metal) are typically neuter.
das Buch (the book):	Ends with -ch, often indicative of neuter nouns. Books are also inanimate objects without a clear association with gender.
das Handy (the cellphone):	Loanword from English. Many modern devices in German default to neuter, especially if they don’t fit masculine or feminine patterns.
das Tablet (the tablet):	Another loanword, treated as neuter due to its inanimate and technological nature.
das Telefon (the telephone):	Derived from Greek roots; many borrowed technological terms default to neuter.
das Frühstück, -e (the breakfast):	Neuter gender is common for meals or events in German, and the plural “-e” follows a typical pattern for neuter nouns ending in “-ck.”
das Brot, -e (the bread):	Neuter gender is often used for food items in German, especially baked goods, with “-e” as a standard plural ending for such nouns.
das Brötchen, – (the roll):	A diminutive form (with “-chen”), which is always neuter; it has no distinct plural form as it’s often treated as a collective noun.
das Croissant, -s (the croissant):	A loanword from French, neuter by default for many borrowed food items, with “-s” as a common plural for foreign words in German.
das Obst (ohne Plural) (the fruit):	Neuter gender is used for collective food terms, and as a mass noun, it doesn’t take a plural form.
das Ei, -er (the egg):	Neuter gender is typical for small, round objects, and the plural “-er” is a less common but traditional ending for some neuter nouns.

Patterns and Observations:

Category	Explanation
Masculine (der):	Tools, devices, and objects with practical utility often default to masculine. Many masculine nouns relate to function or action (Drucker, Schreiber, etc.).
Feminine (die):	Ends with -e or -ung, or implies nurturing/containing (Tasse, Schublade). Many feminine nouns are abstract or represent non-functional items (Zeitung, Lampe).
Neuter (das):	Materials, abstract concepts, and new technological terms are often neuter. Compact or small inanimate objects (Handy, Tablet, Papier).

While these reasons follow some patterns, German noun genders can still be inconsistent and must often be memorized.