Langvie / German grammar / German nouns: der, die, das and compound nouns
German nouns: der, die, das and compound nouns.
Every German noun belongs to one of three grammatical genders and always begins with a capital letter. You will encounter these articles and word combinations whenever you name objects, people, and rooms in everyday life.
Articles and capital letters
Every German noun is masculine with der, feminine with die, or neuter with das. Always capitalize every noun and learn each word together with its article.
| Gender | Article | Noun | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | der | der Tisch | the table |
| Feminine | die | die Küche | the kitchen |
| Neuter | das | das Zimmer | the room |
- Das ist der Tisch.This is the table.
- Der Tisch ist neu.The table is new.
Female forms with -in
To form the female counterpart for a profession or role, add the suffix -in to the masculine noun. Female nouns formed with -in always use the article die, and some add an umlaut.
| Masculine | Feminine | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| der Nachbar | die Nachbarin | neighbor |
| der Lehrer | die Lehrerin | teacher |
| der Freund | die Freundin | friend |
| der Arzt | die Ärztin | doctor |
- Das ist die Nachbarin.This is the female neighbor.
- Hier wohnt die Ärztin.The female doctor lives here.
Compound nouns
German joins multiple words into one single compound noun. The very last noun in the compound determines the gender and the base meaning, sometimes connecting with an extra -s-.
| First word | Last word | Compound noun | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| das Haus | die Tür | die Haustür | front door |
| die Hand | die Tasche | die Handtasche | handbag |
| der Ausweis | die Nummer | die Ausweisnummer | ID number |
| die Wohnung | der Schlüssel | der Wohnungsschlüssel | apartment key |
- Hier ist die Haustür.Here is the front door.
- Das ist der Wohnungsschlüssel.This is the apartment key.
Tips for recognizing gender
Certain word endings reliably reveal the gender of a noun. For example, nouns ending in -ung or -heit are always feminine, while diminutives in -chen are always neuter.
| Ending | Gender | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ung | die | die Heizung | the heating |
| -heit | die | die Sicherheit | the safety |
| -chen | das | das Bettchen | the little bed |
| -er | der | der Wecker | the alarm clock |
- Die Heizung ist neu.The heating is new.
- Hier ist die Hausordnung.Here are the house rules.
Exceptions to remember
- Compound nouns always take the gender of the last element, ignoring all earlier words. Das Haus ist alt, aber die Haustür ist neu.
- Some masculine nouns end in -e, which is usually a feminine ending. Der Name ist Weber.
- Certain feminine forms with -in add an umlaut to the stem vowel. Die Ärztin arbeitet hier.
Practice it in the course
This rule is chapter 9 of 31 in the A1 German course in Langvie, after German word order: the verb in second position and before er, sie, es for things in German. In the app the chapter goes on with 8 exercises and a short spoken conversation with an AI partner, which opens with Was ist das? Ist das der Tisch?
Choose the correct definite article. Das ist ___ Haustür. (die / der / das)
die. The last word Tür is feminine, so Haustür takes die. This is the front door.
Practice this rule in Langvie.
Chapter 9 of the A1 course, with exercises, cards and a conversation in German.