Gender & Articles

Every German noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter; gender affects which article you use and how adjectives and pronouns agree. While some endings and meanings help predict gender, many nouns must be learned with their article.

The definite article signals a specific noun and changes form for gender, number, and case; der marks masculine, die feminine, and das neuter in the nominative. Learning the definite articles helps you identify gender and refer to known things.

The indefinite article marks an unspecific noun and appears as ein or eine according to gender; there is no plural indefinite article. Use ein for masculine and neuter, eine for feminine, and note that the article changes with case.

Certain noun endings reliably signal gender and can guide you when learning new words; for example, nouns ending in -ung are usually feminine, while those ending in -chen are neuter. Memorizing common endings speeds up gender recognition.

Learn each noun's gender along with its definite article, rely on endings as clues, and practice with both definite and indefinite articles to master gender in context. Consistent exposure and usage will make article choice instinctive.