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German Nouns and Their Gender

In German, every noun has a gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter. The gender is an inherent characteristic of the noun and must be memorized along with the noun itself. There are some patterns and rules that can help determine the gender, but many exceptions exist.

Noun Endings and Gender

• Nouns ending in "-chen" or "-lein" are usually neuter (das Mädchen, das Fräulein).
• Nouns ending in "-heit," "-keit," "-schaft," or "-ung" are typically feminine (die Freiheit, die Freundlichkeit, die Wissenschaft, die Übung).
• Nouns referring to male beings are often masculine (der Mann, der Vater, der Lehrer).
• Nouns referring to female beings are often feminine (die Frau, die Mutter, die Lehrerin).

Plural Formation

German nouns can be singular or plural. The plural is formed in various ways:

• Adding "-e" or "-en" (der Tisch - die Tische, das Buch - die Bücher).
• Adding an umlaut (der Apfel - die Äpfel, der Garten - die Gärten).
• Adding "-s" or "-es" (der Schuh - die Schuhe, der Atlas - die Atlanten).
• Changing the vowel (der Mann - die Männer, das Buch - die Bücher).

Importance of Gender and Number

The gender and number of a noun determine the forms of accompanying articles, adjectives, and pronouns. For example:

• Masculine singular: der große Hund (the big dog)
• Feminine singular: eine kleine Katze (a small cat)
• Neuter singular: das rote Auto (the red car)
• Plural: meine neuen Bücher (my new books)