Noun genders

The gender of almost any German noun is determined by its form — especially suffixes, which are little endings such as -at, -ion, -ung, -ig, -um, and more.

Noun Groups (specific topic groups associated with particular genders)
e.g. all months of the year are masculine

Noun Forms (specific spelling patterns associated with particular genders)
e.g. all nouns ending in -ung are feminine

Feminine nouns: die

Nouns ending with these prefixes are always feminine

• ade

• ei

• ie

• ung

• heit

• keit

• schaft

• ur

• tion

• sis

• tät

• sion

• ik

• in

• falt

• enz

• anz
  
  

  1. Fruits ?

  2. Numbers and the names of planes, ships, and trees are mostly feminine: (die) zwei (two), die Boeing 747, die Titanic, and die Eiche (the oak tree).

  3. Nouns from other languages that have these endings are mostly feminine: -ade, -age, -anz, -enz, -ik, -ion, -tät, and -ur. Examples include die Schokolade (the chocolate), die Musik (the music), and die Kultur (the culture).

  4. Motorcycle brands are feminine: die Harley Davidson, die Yamaha, and—when talking about motorcycles only!—die BMW.

words that end in ‘chen’ are always neuter
If the noun ends in -tum, -chen, -lein, -ment, -um (-erl, -le, -el, -li = dialect variants), it's neuter.

Neuter nouns: das

And finally, category three—ahem, I mean, neuter! These nouns use das for "the" in the nominative case. And thankfully, they follow some patterns, too!

1. Nouns with these endings are mostly neuter: -chen, -ial, -ium, -lein, -ma, -ment, -nis, -o, -tum, and -um.* Examples include das Instrument (the instrument), das Auto (the car), das Ergebnis (the result), and das Museum (the museum).

2. Nouns that are diminutives (words for cute or small things) that end in –chen or –lein are mostly neuter: das Kaninchen (the little rabbit) and das Brötchen (the little bread/roll).

3. The names of colors are neuter: (das) Rot (the red) and (das) Blau (the blue).

4. The names of metals and almost all of the chemical elements are neuter: das Messing (the brass), das Aluminium (the aluminum), and das Kupfer (the copper).

5. Most fractions are neuter: das Drittel (the third) and das Viertel (the fourth).

6. Nouns that come from verbs and adjectives are neuter: das Schreiben (the writing)

If the noun ends in -er, -en, -ig, -ling, -us, -mus, -or, chances are it's masculine.

Masculine nouns: der

The first category is called "masculine," simply because most nouns for men are in this category—not because the rest of the words have anything to do with men. In the nominative case, you'll use der for "the." Here are some patterns you'll see in this category:

1. Nouns for men, including professions, are mostly masculine: der Bruder (the brother), der Arzt (the male doctor).

2. Nouns with these endings are mostly masculine: -or, -ling, -ig, -ner, -smus, -er, -ich, -ismus, -ist, -ant, and -us. Examples include der Lehrling (the apprentice), der Schaffner (the conductor), and der Zirkus (the circus).

3. The names of seasons, days of the week, months, compass directions, and precipitation are masculine: der Herbst (the autumn), (der) Juli (July), (der) Montag (Monday), der Süden (the south), and der Schnee (the snow).

4. The names of car brands are masculine: der Audi, der BMW, and der Mercedes.