Language/German/Grammar/Gender - Revision history

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2023-03-26T18:12:20Z

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2023-02-26T14:51:39Z

Quick edit

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:51, 26 February 2023
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	You could make the list much longer, so be warned. But using the wrong article has generally not consequences for being understood. So relax. You might also find it useful to think about the fact that in some German dialects the articles are only slightly different. And also Germans do struggle. In the Odenwald region (close to Heidelberg) many people will say die Bach. In Standard German this in an ugly fault: You must say der Bach. So if you are struggling too, you may be in good company.		You could make the list much longer, so be warned. But using the wrong article has generally not consequences for being understood. So relax. You might also find it useful to think about the fact that in some German dialects the articles are only slightly different. And also Germans do struggle. In the Odenwald region (close to Heidelberg) many people will say die Bach. In Standard German this in an ugly fault: You must say der Bach. So if you are struggling too, you may be in good company.

			==Related Lessons==
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Past-Participle-in-German\|Past Participle in German]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Prepositions\|Prepositions]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be\|How to Use Be]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Common-Mistakes\|Common Mistakes]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Imperative-Tense\|Imperative Tense]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Past-Tense\|Past Tense]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Adjectives\|Adjectives]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Nouns\|Nouns]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have\|How to Use Have]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Future-Tense\|Future Tense]]

Vincent at 10:20, 7 May 2020

2020-05-07T10:20:54Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:20, 7 May 2020
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	[[File:~~Genders in German~~.jpg~~\|alt=Genders in German~~\|thumb~~\|Genders in German~~]]		[[File:learn-german-polyglot-club2.jpg\|thumb]]
	.		.

	Hello everybody,		Hello everybody,

	In today's lesson you will learn ~~some useful vocabulary about '''¨GENDERS¨''' in~~ German		In today's lesson you will learn how to use genders in German.

	~~Feel free to edit this page by adding new words and expressions !~~		In German nouns are either masculine (male, männlich in German), feminine (female, weiblich in German) or neuter (things/entities without a natural gender like book, sun or moon, sächlich in German).

	~~Good learning ! :)~~

	In German nouns are either masculine (male, männlich in German), feminine (female, weiblich in German) or neuter (things/entities without a natural gender like book, sun or moon, sächlich in German). The grammatical gender is not always identical with the natural gender of a noun in German. Be careful: the grammatical gender of a noun in your native language can be different from the grammatical gender of the noun in German.		The grammatical gender is not always identical with the natural gender of a noun in German.


			Be careful: the grammatical gender of a noun in your native language can be different from the grammatical gender of the noun in German.


Line 18:		Line 20:

	Girls are female, the natural gender of a girl is female, but the grammatical gender of "Mädchen" in German is neuter.		Girls are female, the natural gender of a girl is female, but the grammatical gender of "Mädchen" in German is neuter.


	*''die Sonne in German is feminine - the sun in English is masculine''		*''die Sonne in German is feminine - the sun in English is masculine''


	*''der Mond in German is masculine - the moon in English is feminine''		*''der Mond in German is masculine - the moon in English is feminine''


	Why is it so important to know the grammatical gender of a noun in German? In German you often have to use an article with the noun. The articles for the three types of gender and the different cases are not the same. To use the correct article you have to know the grammatical gender.		Why is it so important to know the grammatical gender of a noun in German? In German you often have to use an article with the noun. The articles for the three types of gender and the different cases are not the same. To use the correct article you have to know the grammatical gender.

Mastavaya: Genders in German

2020-04-17T23:02:05Z

Genders in German

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:02, 18 April 2020
Line 1:		Line 1:
			[[File:Genders in German.jpg\|alt=Genders in German\|thumb\|Genders in German]]
			.

			Hello everybody,

			In today's lesson you will learn some useful vocabulary about '''¨GENDERS¨''' in German

			Feel free to edit this page by adding new words and expressions !

			Good learning ! :)

	In German nouns are either masculine (male, männlich in German), feminine (female, weiblich in German) or neuter (things/entities without a natural gender like book, sun or moon, sächlich in German). The grammatical gender is not always identical with the natural gender of a noun in German. Be careful: the grammatical gender of a noun in your native language can be different from the grammatical gender of the noun in German.		In German nouns are either masculine (male, männlich in German), feminine (female, weiblich in German) or neuter (things/entities without a natural gender like book, sun or moon, sächlich in German). The grammatical gender is not always identical with the natural gender of a noun in German. Be careful: the grammatical gender of a noun in your native language can be different from the grammatical gender of the noun in German.

Line 14:		Line 25:
	Why is it so important to know the grammatical gender of a noun in German? In German you often have to use an article with the noun. The articles for the three types of gender and the different cases are not the same. To use the correct article you have to know the grammatical gender.		Why is it so important to know the grammatical gender of a noun in German? In German you often have to use an article with the noun. The articles for the three types of gender and the different cases are not the same. To use the correct article you have to know the grammatical gender.

	==Example for definite (''der, die, das'') and indefinite (''ein, eine'') articles in German==		=='''Example for definite (''der, die, das'') and indefinite (''ein, eine'') articles in German'''==

	===Singular===		==='''Singular'''===
	(man - ''Mann'', woman - ''Frau'', girl - ''Mädchen'')		'''(man - ''Mann'', woman - ''Frau'', girl - ''Mädchen'')'''
	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
	!Case		!'''<big>Case</big>'''
	!masculine		!'''<big>masculine</big>'''
	!feminine		!'''<big>feminine</big>'''
	!neuter		!'''<big>neuter</big>'''
	\|-		\|-
	\|Nominativ		\|Nominativ
Line 55:		Line 66:
	For nouns that describe a profession you are able to "transform" the grammatical gender from masculine to feminine in German. Similar to the transformation of the noun ''actor'' as the expression for a male actor to the noun ''actress'' as the expression for a female actor in English.		For nouns that describe a profession you are able to "transform" the grammatical gender from masculine to feminine in German. Similar to the transformation of the noun ''actor'' as the expression for a male actor to the noun ''actress'' as the expression for a female actor in English.

	*der Schauspieler (actor) -> die Schauspieler'''in''' (actress)		*<big>der Schauspieler (actor) -> die Schauspieler'''in''' (actress)</big>
	*der Doktor (doctor) -> die Doktor'''in'''		*<big>der Doktor (doctor) -> die Doktor'''in'''</big>
	*der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''		*<big>der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''</big>


Line 70:		Line 81:

	If you are a native French speaker, be careful. Even if the word sounds familiar or even if it is a French loanword the gender can be surprising. Consider these:		If you are a native French speaker, be careful. Even if the word sounds familiar or even if it is a French loanword the gender can be surprising. Consider these:
	* le bastion = die Bastion		* <big>'''le bastion = die Bastion'''</big>
	* un uniforme = eine Uniform		* <big>'''un uniforme = eine Uniform'''</big>
	* l'urine = der Urin		* <big>'''l'urine = der Urin'''</big>
	* le front = die Front		* <big>'''le front = die Front'''</big>
	* le parti = die Partei		* <big>'''le parti = die Partei'''</big>
	* le blasphème = die Blasphemie		* <big>'''le blasphème = die Blasphemie'''</big>


	You could make the list much longer, so be warned. But using the wrong article has generally not consequences for being understood. So relax. You might also find it useful to think about the fact that in some German dialects the articles are only slightly different. And also Germans do struggle. In the Odenwald region (close to Heidelberg) many people will say die Bach. In Standard German this in an ugly fault: You must say der Bach. So if you are struggling too, you may be in good company.		You could make the list much longer, so be warned. But using the wrong article has generally not consequences for being understood. So relax. You might also find it useful to think about the fact that in some German dialects the articles are only slightly different. And also Germans do struggle. In the Odenwald region (close to Heidelberg) many people will say die Bach. In Standard German this in an ugly fault: You must say der Bach. So if you are struggling too, you may be in good company.

Vincent at 20:49, 2 April 2020

2020-04-02T20:49:35Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:49, 2 April 2020
Line 56:		Line 56:

	*der Schauspieler (actor) -> die Schauspieler'''in''' (actress)		*der Schauspieler (actor) -> die Schauspieler'''in''' (actress)

	*der Doktor (doctor) -> die Doktor'''in'''		*der Doktor (doctor) -> die Doktor'''in'''
			*der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''

	*der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''

	To determine the grammatical gender of a noun is not easy. Basically, you just have to memorize it. '''But''' there are some rules that can help a lot:		To determine the grammatical gender of a noun is not easy. Basically, you just have to memorize it. '''But''' there are some rules that can help a lot:
Line 68:		Line 67:
	* Most nouns ending in -nis are feminine: die Finsternis, die Kenntnis, die Erkenntnis, but das Hindernis which is at the moment the only exception that I can figure out, but there may be more		* Most nouns ending in -nis are feminine: die Finsternis, die Kenntnis, die Erkenntnis, but das Hindernis which is at the moment the only exception that I can figure out, but there may be more
	* Most names of trees are feminine: die Eiche, die Birke, die Pappel, die Fichte, die Tanne, die Weide, die Buche but there are exceptions: der Ahorn, der Weißdorn		* Most names of trees are feminine: die Eiche, die Birke, die Pappel, die Fichte, die Tanne, die Weide, die Buche but there are exceptions: der Ahorn, der Weißdorn


	If you are a native French speaker, be careful. Even if the word sounds familiar or even if it is a French loanword the gender can be surprising. Consider these:		If you are a native French speaker, be careful. Even if the word sounds familiar or even if it is a French loanword the gender can be surprising. Consider these:
Line 76:		Line 76:
	* le parti = die Partei		* le parti = die Partei
	* le blasphème = die Blasphemie		* le blasphème = die Blasphemie


	You could make the list much longer, so be warned. But using the wrong article has generally not consequences for being understood. So relax. You might also find it useful to think about the fact that in some German dialects the articles are only slightly different. And also Germans do struggle. In the Odenwald region (close to Heidelberg) many people will say die Bach. In Standard German this in an ugly fault: You must say der Bach. So if you are struggling too, you may be in good company.		You could make the list much longer, so be warned. But using the wrong article has generally not consequences for being understood. So relax. You might also find it useful to think about the fact that in some German dialects the articles are only slightly different. And also Germans do struggle. In the Odenwald region (close to Heidelberg) many people will say die Bach. In Standard German this in an ugly fault: You must say der Bach. So if you are struggling too, you may be in good company.

Woodstock 72: I expanded the article and added some rules.

2020-04-02T13:02:49Z

I expanded the article and added some rules.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:02, 2 April 2020
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	In German nouns are either masculine (male), feminine (female) or neuter (things/entities without a natural gender like book, sun or moon). The grammatical gender is not always identical with the natural gender of a noun in German. Be ~~carful~~: the grammatical gender of a noun in your native language can be different from the grammatical gender of the noun in German.		In German nouns are either masculine (male, männlich in German), feminine (female, weiblich in German) or neuter (things/entities without a natural gender like book, sun or moon, sächlich in German). The grammatical gender is not always identical with the natural gender of a noun in German. Be careful: the grammatical gender of a noun in your native language can be different from the grammatical gender of the noun in German.


Line 60:		Line 60:

	*der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''		*der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''

			To determine the grammatical gender of a noun is not easy. Basically, you just have to memorize it. '''But''' there are some rules that can help a lot:
			* Most nouns ending in -e are feminine: die Straße, die Soße, die Pfanne. It's not a 100-percent rule, there are exceptions: der Hase
			* All nouns ending in -tion are feminine. 100 percent. Trust me: die Revolution, die Evolution, die Partizipation
			* All nouns ending in -heit or -keit are feminine. No exceptions: die Schönheit, die Traurigkeit, die Lustlosigkeit
			* All nouns ending in -tum are neutral: das Christentum, das Judentum, das Eigentum
			* Most nouns ending in -nis are feminine: die Finsternis, die Kenntnis, die Erkenntnis, but das Hindernis which is at the moment the only exception that I can figure out, but there may be more
			* Most names of trees are feminine: die Eiche, die Birke, die Pappel, die Fichte, die Tanne, die Weide, die Buche but there are exceptions: der Ahorn, der Weißdorn

			If you are a native French speaker, be careful. Even if the word sounds familiar or even if it is a French loanword the gender can be surprising. Consider these:
			* le bastion = die Bastion
			* un uniforme = eine Uniform
			* l'urine = der Urin
			* le front = die Front
			* le parti = die Partei
			* le blasphème = die Blasphemie

			You could make the list much longer, so be warned. But using the wrong article has generally not consequences for being understood. So relax. You might also find it useful to think about the fact that in some German dialects the articles are only slightly different. And also Germans do struggle. In the Odenwald region (close to Heidelberg) many people will say die Bach. In Standard German this in an ugly fault: You must say der Bach. So if you are struggling too, you may be in good company.

Vincent at 07:06, 15 April 2019

2019-04-15T07:06:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:06, 15 April 2019
Line 1:		Line 1:
	In German nouns are either masculine (male), feminine (female) or neuter (things/entities without a natural gender like book, sun or moon). The grammatical gender is not always identical with the natural gender of a noun in German. Be carful: the grammatical gender of a noun in your native language can be different from the grammatical gender of the noun in German.		In German nouns are either masculine (male), feminine (female) or neuter (things/entities without a natural gender like book, sun or moon). The grammatical gender is not always identical with the natural gender of a noun in German. Be carful: the grammatical gender of a noun in your native language can be different from the grammatical gender of the noun in German.

	~~<u>For example:</u>~~

	''das Mädchen neuter - girl''		Examples:

			*''das Mädchen neuter - girl''

	Girls are female, the natural gender of a girl is female, but the grammatical gender of "Mädchen" in German is neuter.		Girls are female, the natural gender of a girl is female, but the grammatical gender of "Mädchen" in German is neuter.

	''die Sonne in German is feminine - the sun in English is masculine''		*''die Sonne in German is feminine - the sun in English is masculine''

	''der Mond in German is masculine - the moon in English is feminine''		*''der Mond in German is masculine - the moon in English is feminine''

	Why is it so important to know the grammatical gender of a noun in German? In German you often have to use an article with the noun. The articles for the three types of gender and the different cases are not the same. To use the correct article you have to know the grammatical gender.		Why is it so important to know the grammatical gender of a noun in German? In German you often have to use an article with the noun. The articles for the three types of gender and the different cases are not the same. To use the correct article you have to know the grammatical gender.

	Example for definite (''der, die, das'') and indefinite (''ein, eine'') articles in German:		==Example for definite (''der, die, das'') and indefinite (''ein, eine'') articles in German==

	~~'''~~Singular~~'''~~ (man - ''Mann'', woman - ''Frau'', girl - ''Mädchen'')		===Singular===
			(man - ''Mann'', woman - ''Frau'', girl - ''Mädchen'')
	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
	!Case		!Case
Line 49:		Line 51:
	The man is talking to his child. He wears a black shirt.		The man is talking to his child. He wears a black shirt.

	'''''Der Mann''' spricht mit '''seinem''' Kind. '''Er''' trägt ein schwarzes Shirt.''		*'''''Der Mann''' spricht mit '''seinem''' Kind. '''Er''' trägt ein schwarzes Shirt.''

	For nouns that describe a profession you are able to "transform" the grammatical gender from masculine to feminine in German. Similar to the transformation of the noun ''actor'' as the expression for a male actor to the noun ''actress'' as the expression for a female actor in English.		For nouns that describe a profession you are able to "transform" the grammatical gender from masculine to feminine in German. Similar to the transformation of the noun ''actor'' as the expression for a male actor to the noun ''actress'' as the expression for a female actor in English.

	der Schauspieler (actor) -> die Schauspieler'''in''' (actress)		*der Schauspieler (actor) -> die Schauspieler'''in''' (actress)

	der Doktor (doctor) -> die Doktor'''in'''		*der Doktor (doctor) -> die Doktor'''in'''

	der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''		*der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''

Vincent: Undo revision 26928 by Vincent (talk)

2019-04-15T07:05:20Z

Undo revision 26928 by Vincent (talk)

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:05, 15 April 2019
Line 58:		Line 58:

	der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''		der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''

	~~<nowiki>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</nowiki>~~

	~~In this lesson, we learn the "Gender" subject in Deutsch. Follow the lesson.~~

	~~When you talk about a female, say "eine" instead "ein" ( ein/eine = a/an).~~

	~~eine => female~~

	~~ein => male~~

	~~Example: Ich bin eine Lehrerin.~~

	~~Look at the sentence again, we say "Lehrerin" instead "Lehrer". Yes! When we talk about a female, we should add one "in" at the end of the sentence.~~

	~~Example :~~

	~~Ich bin eine Busfahrerin (Busfahrer)~~

	~~Ich bin eine Ingenieurin (Ingenieur)~~

	~~___________~~

	~~Note: all German names, have gender :\| (I mean these words also have gender : bravery, sunset and ...)~~

	~~In Deutsch we have 3 types of verbs in the third person.~~

	~~Sie (She) => Female~~

	~~Er (He) => Male~~

	~~Es (Neutral) => Things~~

	~~Example :~~

	~~Sie ist eine Forografin (She is a Photographer)~~

	~~Er ist ein Fotograf (He is a Photographer)~~

	~~Note: Don't worry for "es"~~

	~~Note: all German names, have gender :\| (I mean also this words have gender : bravery, sunset and ...)~~

	~~Der (The) => Male~~

	~~Die (The) => Female~~

	~~Das (The) => Neutral~~

	~~See that :~~

	~~die Jahreszeiten (the seasons) => Gender : Female~~

	~~der weg (the way) => Gender : Male~~

	~~Good luck.~~

Vincent: Reverted edits by Vincent (talk) to last revision by Effemie

2019-04-15T07:04:43Z

Reverted edits by Vincent (talk) to last revision by Effemie

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:04, 15 April 2019
Line 58:		Line 58:

	der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''		der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''

			<nowiki>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</nowiki>

			In this lesson, we learn the "Gender" subject in Deutsch. Follow the lesson.

			When you talk about a female, say "eine" instead "ein" ( ein/eine = a/an).

			eine => female

			ein => male

			Example: Ich bin eine Lehrerin.

			Look at the sentence again, we say "Lehrerin" instead "Lehrer". Yes! When we talk about a female, we should add one "in" at the end of the sentence.

			Example :

			Ich bin eine Busfahrerin (Busfahrer)

			Ich bin eine Ingenieurin (Ingenieur)

			___________

			Note: all German names, have gender :\| (I mean these words also have gender : bravery, sunset and ...)

			In Deutsch we have 3 types of verbs in the third person.

			Sie (She) => Female

			Er (He) => Male

			Es (Neutral) => Things

			Example :

			Sie ist eine Forografin (She is a Photographer)

			Er ist ein Fotograf (He is a Photographer)

			Note: Don't worry for "es"

			Note: all German names, have gender :\| (I mean also this words have gender : bravery, sunset and ...)

			Der (The) => Male

			Die (The) => Female

			Das (The) => Neutral

			See that :

			die Jahreszeiten (the seasons) => Gender : Female

			der weg (the way) => Gender : Male

			Good luck.

Vincent at 07:04, 15 April 2019

2019-04-15T07:04:14Z

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 In German nouns are either masculine (male), feminine (female) or neuter (things/entities without a natural gender like book, sun or moon). The grammatical gender is not always identical with the natural gender of a noun in German. Be carful: the grammatical gender of a noun in your native language can be different from the grammatical gender of the noun in German.
-For example:
+''das Mädchen neuter - girl''
 Girls are female, the natural gender of a girl is female, but the grammatical gender of "Mädchen" in German is neuter.
-*''die Sonne in German is feminine - the sun in English is masculine''
+''die Sonne in German is feminine - the sun in English is masculine''
 Why is it so important to know the grammatical gender of a noun in German? In German you often have to use an article with the noun. The articles for the three types of gender and the different cases are not the same. To use the correct article you have to know the grammatical gender.
@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 Example for definite (''der, die, das'') and indefinite (''ein, eine'') articles in German:
-==Singular==
+'''Singular''' (man - ''Mann'', woman - ''Frau'', girl - ''Mädchen'')
 {| class="wikitable"
 !Case
@@ Line 50: / Line 49: @@
 The man is talking to his child. He wears a black shirt.
-*'''''Der Mann''' spricht mit '''seinem''' Kind. '''Er''' trägt ein schwarzes Shirt.''
+'''''Der Mann''' spricht mit '''seinem''' Kind. '''Er''' trägt ein schwarzes Shirt.''
 For nouns that describe a profession you are able to "transform" the grammatical gender from masculine to feminine in German. Similar to the transformation of the noun ''actor'' as the expression for a male actor to the noun ''actress'' as the expression for a female actor in English.
@@ Line 59: / Line 58: @@
 der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:51, 26 February 2023
Line 95:		Line 95:

	You could make the list much longer, so be warned. But using the wrong article has generally not consequences for being understood. So relax. You might also find it useful to think about the fact that in some German dialects the articles are only slightly different. And also Germans do struggle. In the Odenwald region (close to Heidelberg) many people will say die Bach. In Standard German this in an ugly fault: You must say der Bach. So if you are struggling too, you may be in good company.		You could make the list much longer, so be warned. But using the wrong article has generally not consequences for being understood. So relax. You might also find it useful to think about the fact that in some German dialects the articles are only slightly different. And also Germans do struggle. In the Odenwald region (close to Heidelberg) many people will say die Bach. In Standard German this in an ugly fault: You must say der Bach. So if you are struggling too, you may be in good company.

			==Related Lessons==
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Past-Participle-in-German\|Past Participle in German]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Prepositions\|Prepositions]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be\|How to Use Be]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Common-Mistakes\|Common Mistakes]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Imperative-Tense\|Imperative Tense]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Past-Tense\|Past Tense]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Adjectives\|Adjectives]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Nouns\|Nouns]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have\|How to Use Have]]
			* [[Language/German/Grammar/Future-Tense\|Future Tense]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:12, 26 March 2023
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[File:learn-german-polyglot-club2.jpg\|thumb]]		[[File:learn-german-polyglot-club2.jpg\|thumb]]
	.

	Hello everybody,		Hello everybody,
Line 7:		Line 6:

	In German nouns are either masculine (male, männlich in German), feminine (female, weiblich in German) or neuter (things/entities without a natural gender like book, sun or moon, sächlich in German).		In German nouns are either masculine (male, männlich in German), feminine (female, weiblich in German) or neuter (things/entities without a natural gender like book, sun or moon, sächlich in German).


	The grammatical gender is not always identical with the natural gender of a noun in German.		The grammatical gender is not always identical with the natural gender of a noun in German.


	Be careful: the grammatical gender of a noun in your native language can be different from the grammatical gender of the noun in German.		Be careful: the grammatical gender of a noun in your native language can be different from the grammatical gender of the noun in German.


	Examples:		Examples:
Line 20:		Line 16:

	Girls are female, the natural gender of a girl is female, but the grammatical gender of "Mädchen" in German is neuter.		Girls are female, the natural gender of a girl is female, but the grammatical gender of "Mädchen" in German is neuter.


	*''die Sonne in German is feminine - the sun in English is masculine''		*''die Sonne in German is feminine - the sun in English is masculine''


	*''der Mond in German is masculine - the moon in English is feminine''		*''der Mond in German is masculine - the moon in English is feminine''


	Why is it so important to know the grammatical gender of a noun in German? In German you often have to use an article with the noun. The articles for the three types of gender and the different cases are not the same. To use the correct article you have to know the grammatical gender.		Why is it so important to know the grammatical gender of a noun in German? In German you often have to use an article with the noun. The articles for the three types of gender and the different cases are not the same. To use the correct article you have to know the grammatical gender.

			With this lesson's content fresh in your mind, consider delving into these associated areas: [[Language/Swiss-german/Grammar/Gender\|Gender]], [[Language/German/Grammar/Be-Polite\|Be Polite]], [[Language/German/Grammar/Expressing-Abilities\|Expressing Abilities]] & [[Language/German/Grammar/Cases:-Nominative-and-Accusative\|Cases: Nominative and Accusative]].
	=='''Example for definite (''der, die, das'') and indefinite (''ein, eine'') articles in German'''==		=='''Example for definite (''der, die, das'') and indefinite (''ein, eine'') articles in German'''==

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	*<big>der Doktor (doctor) -> die Doktor'''in'''</big>		*<big>der Doktor (doctor) -> die Doktor'''in'''</big>
	*<big>der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''</big>		*<big>der Fahrer (driver) -> die Fahrer'''in'''</big>


	To determine the grammatical gender of a noun is not easy. Basically, you just have to memorize it. '''But''' there are some rules that can help a lot:		To determine the grammatical gender of a noun is not easy. Basically, you just have to memorize it. '''But''' there are some rules that can help a lot:
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	* Most nouns ending in -nis are feminine: die Finsternis, die Kenntnis, die Erkenntnis, but das Hindernis which is at the moment the only exception that I can figure out, but there may be more		* Most nouns ending in -nis are feminine: die Finsternis, die Kenntnis, die Erkenntnis, but das Hindernis which is at the moment the only exception that I can figure out, but there may be more
	* Most names of trees are feminine: die Eiche, die Birke, die Pappel, die Fichte, die Tanne, die Weide, die Buche but there are exceptions: der Ahorn, der Weißdorn		* Most names of trees are feminine: die Eiche, die Birke, die Pappel, die Fichte, die Tanne, die Weide, die Buche but there are exceptions: der Ahorn, der Weißdorn


	If you are a native French speaker, be careful. Even if the word sounds familiar or even if it is a French loanword the gender can be surprising. Consider these:		If you are a native French speaker, be careful. Even if the word sounds familiar or even if it is a French loanword the gender can be surprising. Consider these:
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	* <big>'''le parti = die Partei'''</big>		* <big>'''le parti = die Partei'''</big>
	* <big>'''le blasphème = die Blasphemie'''</big>		* <big>'''le blasphème = die Blasphemie'''</big>


	You could make the list much longer, so be warned. But using the wrong article has generally not consequences for being understood. So relax. You might also find it useful to think about the fact that in some German dialects the articles are only slightly different. And also Germans do struggle. In the Odenwald region (close to Heidelberg) many people will say die Bach. In Standard German this in an ugly fault: You must say der Bach. So if you are struggling too, you may be in good company.		You could make the list much longer, so be warned. But using the wrong article has generally not consequences for being understood. So relax. You might also find it useful to think about the fact that in some German dialects the articles are only slightly different. And also Germans do struggle. In the Odenwald region (close to Heidelberg) many people will say die Bach. In Standard German this in an ugly fault: You must say der Bach. So if you are struggling too, you may be in good company.

	==~~Related~~ Lessons==		==Other Lessons==
	* [[Language/German/Grammar/Past-Participle-in-German\|Past Participle in German]]		* [[Language/German/Grammar/Past-Participle-in-German\|Past Participle in German]]
	* [[Language/German/Grammar/Prepositions\|Prepositions]]		* [[Language/German/Grammar/Prepositions\|Prepositions]]
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	* [[Language/German/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have\|How to Use Have]]		* [[Language/German/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have\|How to Use Have]]
	* [[Language/German/Grammar/Future-Tense\|Future Tense]]		* [[Language/German/Grammar/Future-Tense\|Future Tense]]
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