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 Grammar Nouns Gender Masculine

Nouns - Masculine Gender

  

The gender of a German noun cannot be recognized very often by the noun itself. But there are a few tendencies in that respect as the following rules show. Here is a list of those nouns which have a masculine gender and are accompanied by the masculine definite article der:

Examples   Phonetic Script English
     
Determination by meanings    
     

male persons
Mann m [man] man
Sohn m [zo:n] son
     

seasons
Frühling m ['fry:lɪŋ] spring
Sommer m ['zɔmɐ] summer
Herbst m [hɛrpst] autumn
Winter m ['vɪntɐ] winter
     

months
Januar m ['janua:ɐ] January
Februar m ['fe:brua:ɐ] February
März m [mɛrts] March
April m [a'prɪl] April
Mai m [mai] May
Juni m ['ju:ni] June
Juli m ['ju:li] July
August m [au'gʊst] August
September m [zɛp'tɛmbɐ] September
Oktober m [ɔk'to:bɐ] October
November m [no'vɛmbɐ] November
Dezember m [de'tsɛmbɐ] December
     

days of the week
Sonntag m ['zɔnta:k] Sunday
Montag m ['mo:nta:k] Monday
Dienstag m ['di:nsta:k] Tuesday
Mittwoch m ['mɪtvɔx] Wednesday
Donnerstag m ['dɔnɐsta:k] Thursday
Freitag m ['fraita:k] Friday
Samstag m ['zamsta:k] Saturday
     

times of the day
Morgen m ['mɔrgən] morning
Vormittag m ['foɐmɪta:k] morning (literally: before noon)
Mittag m ['mɪta:k] noon
Nachmittag m ['na:xmɪta:k] afternoon
Abend m ['a:bənt] evening
exception: Nacht f [naxt] night
     

four points of the compass
Norden m ['nɔrdən] north
Osten m ['ɔstən] east
Süden m ['zy:dən] south
Westen m ['vɛstən] west
     

all kinds of weather
Regen m ['re:gən] rain
Schnee m [ʃne:] snow
Hagel m ['ha:gəl] hail
Frost m [frɔst] frost
Nebel m ['ne:bəl] fog
Sturm m [ʃtʊrm] storm
Wind m [vɪnt] wind
Blitz m [blɪts] lightning
Donner m ['dɔnɐ] thunder
exceptions: Wetter nt ['vɛtɐ] weather
  Gewitter nt [gə'vɪtɐ] thunderstorm

 

    

currencies
Euro m ['ɔyro] euro
Dollar m ['dɔlar] dollar
Cent m [sɛnt] cent
Rubel m ['ru:bəl] rouble
exceptions: Krone f ['kro:nə] krone
  Lira f ['li:ra] lira
  Pesete f [pe'ze:tə] peseta
  Pfund nt [pfʊnt] pound
  Rupie f ['ru:piə] rupee
     

names of cars
Mercedes m [mɛr'tse:dəs] Mercedes
Porsche m ['pɔrʃə] Porsche
exception: Auto nt ['auto] car
     

names of trains
Zug m [tsu:k] train
ICE m [i:tse:'e:] Intercityexpress (high-speed train)
Urlaubsexpress m ['u:əlaupsɛksprɛs] holiday express train
     

alcoholic drinks
Alkohol m ['alkoho:l] alcohol
Champagner m [ʃam'panjɐ] champagne
Cocktail m ['kɔkte:l] cocktail
Cognac m ['kɔnjak] cognac
Likör m [li'kø:ɐ] liqueur
Schnaps m [ʃnaps] schnapps
Sekt m [zɛkt] sparkling wine
Sherry m ['ʃɛri] sherry
Wein m [vain] wine
Weinbrand m ['vainbrant] brandy
Whisk(e)y m ['vɪski] whisk(e)y
exception: Bier nt [bi:ə] beer
     
     
Determination by endings, pre- or suffixes    
     

foreign nouns ending in -and
Doktorand m [dɔkto'rant] doctoral candidate
     

foreign nouns ending in -ant
Fabrikant m [fabri'kant] factory owner
Praktikant m [prakti'kant] trainee (having a practical training)
     

foreign nouns ending in -ar describing persons
Kommissar m [kɔmɪ'sa:ɐ] inspector
Jubilar m [jubi'la:ɐ] person celebrating sth
     

foreign nouns ending in -är describing persons
Funktionär m [fʊŋktsio'nɛɐ] functionary, official
Millionär m [mɪlio'nɛ:ɐ] millionaire
     

foreign nouns ending in -ast describing persons
Cineast m [si:ne'ast] cineast
Enthusiast m [ɛntu'ziast] enthusiast
     

foreign nouns ending in -at describing persons
Bürokrat m [byro'kra:t] bureaucrat
Kandidat m [kandi'da:t] candidate
     

foreign nouns ending in -ator
Diktator m [dɪk'ta:to:ɐ] despot
Restaurator m [restau'ra:to:ɐ] restorer
     

nouns ending in -en made of verbs describing a state
Nutzen m ['nʊtsən] advantage, benefit
Schaden m ['ʃa:dən] damage
     

nouns made of a verb stem without -en
Anfang m (verb: anfangen) ['anfaŋ] beginning
Versuch m (verb: versuchen) [fɛɐ'zu:x] attempt
     

foreign nouns ending in -ent
Student m [ʃtu'dɛnt] student (at university, not at school)
Dozent m [do'tsɛnt] lecturer (at university)
     

nouns ending in -er describing persons and machines
Lehrer m ['le:rɐ] teacher
Computer m [kɔm'pju:tɐ] computer
     

nouns made of a verb stem + -er
Arbeiter m (verb: arbeiten) ['arbaitɐ] worker
Fahrer m (verb: fahren) ['fa:rɐ] driver
     

foreign nouns ending in -eur/-ör
Friseur/Frisör m ['frizø:ɐ] hairdresser
Ingenieur m [ɪnʒe'niø:ɐ] engineer
exception: Malheur nt [ma'lø:ɐ] mishap
     

foreign nouns ending in -graph/-graf
Paragraph (Paragraf) m [para'gra:f] paragraph
Choreograph (Choreograf) m [koreo'gra:f] choreographer
     

nouns ending in -ich
Teppich m ['tɛpɪç] carpet
Pfirsich m ['pfɪrzɪç] peach
     

nouns ending in -ig
König m ['kø:nɪç] king
Honig m ['ho:nɪç] honey
     

foreign nouns ending in -iker
Chemiker m ['çe:mɪkɐ] chemist
Physiker m ['fy:zɪkɐ] physicist
     

foreign nouns ending in -ismus
Atheismus m [ate'ɪsmʊs] atheism
Kapitalismus m [kapita'lɪsmʊs] capitalism
     

foreign nouns ending in -ist
Kommunist m [kɔmu'nɪst] communist
Tourist m [tu'rɪst] tourist
     

foreign nouns ending in -ius
Sozius m ['zo:tsiʊs] partner, buddy, mate
Filius m ['fi:liʊs] son
     

nouns ending in -ling
Zwilling m ['tsvɪlɪŋ] twin
Feigling m ['faiklɪŋ] coward
     

foreign nouns ending in -loge
Biologe m [bio'lo:gə] biologist
Psychologe m [psyço'lo:gə] psychologist
     

nouns ending in -m
Arm m [arm] arm
Turm m [tʊrm] tower
     

nouns ending in -ner
Partner m ['partnɐ] partner
Rentner m ['rɛntnɐ] pensioner
     

foreign nouns ending in -om
Ökonom m [øko'no:m] economist
exception: Metronom nt [metro'no:m] metronome
     

foreign nouns ending in -or
Direktor m [di'rɛkto:ɐ] director, head(master)
Motor m ['mo:to:ɐ] motor
     

foreign nouns ending in -us
Luxus m ['lʊksʊs] luxury
Zirkus m ['tsɪrkʊs] circus
exception: Virus nt ['vi:rʊs] virus