German Articles (Gender of Nouns)

(Note: There are many exceptions to these rules. You should always memorize nouns and articles together)

The Definite Article
(i.e. the in English)
 

Use of the Definite Article

• German includes the definite article in reference to a specific noun.
• Definite articles are used instead of possessive adjectives with parts of the body and with articles of clothingwhen it is clear to whom they belong.
• The definite article is also used in the following instances where it is usually omitted in English:
• • with names of meals
  • with means of transportation
  • with proper names of: streets, intersections, squares, churches, schools, universities, lakes, canyons, mountains, and rivers
  • with names of certain masculine, feminine, or plural countries: der Jemen, der Kongo, der Sudan, der Iran, der Irak, die Schweiz, die Slowakei, die Tschechische Republik, die Türkei, die Vereinigten Staaten . . .
  • with geographical and proper names modified by preceeding adjectives
  • with nouns that denote concepts, abstractions, and beliefs
  • with a number of words such as Arbeit, Kirche, Schule, and Stadt, particularly after prepositions

Omission of the Definite Article

• generally with:
• • pairs of nouns
  • before a musical instrument when expressing playing that instrument
  • generally with personal names

(Note: in very colloquial German, the article is often included with first and last names which usually personalizes the reference).

The Indefinite Article
ein = a and an in English
kein = none in English
 

Use of the Indefinite Article

• to refer to nonspecific nouns

Omission of the Indefinite Article

• It is not used before nouns of occupation, nationality, or general class of persons (religions, marital status . . . ) when they are used as predicate nominatives or after als.

Masculine

• Nouns referring to male persons, their professions, and nationalities:

• Ex: der Vater, der Komponist, der Deutsche . . .
   
• Nouns of all seasons, months, days of the week:

• Ex: der Frühling, der Mittwoch, der Februar . . .
   
• Most nouns ending in en

• Ex: der Wagen, der Garten, der Osten . . .

Feminine

• Most nouns refering to female persons:

• Ex: die Mutter, die Frau . . .

  (Note: a common exception das Mädchen - the girl)
   

• Most nouns ending in an unstressed e:

• Ex: die Liebe, die Frage, die Karte . . .

  (Note: common exceptions: der Name, der Käse, das Ende, das Auge)
   

• All nouns ending in ei, ie, ik, ion, heit, keit, schaft, tät, and ung:

• Ex: die Bäckerei, die Universität, die Möglichkeit . . .

Neutral

• When referring to the young of humans and animals

• Ex: das Kalb, das Lamm, das Kind
   
• Nouns with the suffix chen and lein

• Ex: die Stadt = das Städtchen

  Ex: das Mädchen

  (Note: all nouns usually become neutral and have an umlaut when -chen or -lein is added).
   

• Most metals:

• Ex: das Silber, das Blei . . .
   
• Infinitives used as nouns:

• Ex: das Rauchen, das Trinken . . .
   
• Letters used as nouns:

• Ex: das A, das B

Compound Nouns

Compound nouns take the gender of the last noun:

Ex: das Semester         =           die Semesterarbeit
      die Arbeit

Plural Articles

The plural of the definite articles is the same for all genders - die

Ex: die Väter, die Mütter, die Kinder

Created by Esther Hillmann
Foreign Language Lab/ University of Houston