Gender of nouns in German. How to correctly determine the gender of a noun in German: basic rules Masculine and feminine gender in German

Nouns in German, as in Russian, can be of three genders: masculine, feminine and neuter:

der (ein) Mann (m) – man (masculine – Maskulinum),
die (eine) Frau (f) – woman (feminine – Femininum),
das (ein) Fenster (n) – window (neuter gender – Neutrum).

Gender in German, as you can see, is expressed through the article.

The man will, of course, be masculine, and the woman will be feminine.

das Weib (woman, woman) and das Mädchen (girl, girl) are neuter.

But with inanimate objects it’s more difficult. They, as in Russian, are not necessarily of the neuter, “neutral” gender, but belong to different genders. Closet in Russian for some reason it’s a man, but shelf- a woman, although they have no sexual characteristics. It's the same in German. The trouble is that gender in Russian and German often does not match, that Germans see the gender of objects differently. It may (by chance) coincide, it may not. For example, der Schrank (cabinet)- male, das Regal (shelf)– average.

You should try to remember the word in German with the article!

Sometimes you can guess by the shape of a word what kind it is. For example, by how the word ends. Like in Russian words for -ost, – tion, – iya, – aya, – tsa, – ka, – a...– feminine, and German words in:

die Melo die– melody, die Situa tion– situation, die Kult ur– culture, die Tend enz - trend, die Speziali tät– a traditional dish (of a region), die Maler ei– painting, die Fest ung– fortress, die Frei heit– freedom, die Möglich keit– opportunity, die Wissen schaft- the science…

Some suffixes, which in Russian correspond to the masculine gender, in German, on the contrary, are a sign of the feminine gender: die Reg ion – region, die Diagn ose– diagnosis, die Gar age- garage…

Words ending with -e, most often feminine: die Wanne – bath, die Woche – week. This -e corresponds to the Russian ending -and I). But in Russian there are also masculine words with a similar ending (uncle, cabin boy). Same in German: der Junge - boy.

Note also that the words in -ling always masculine: Lehr ling (student, journeyman).

Many one-syllable (sometimes two-syllable - due to the prefix) nouns formed from verbs belong to the masculine gender:

der Beginn< – beginnen (начало – начинать), der Blick < – blicken (взгляд, вид – взглянуть), der Klang < – klingen (звук – звучать), der Begriff < – begreifen (понятие – понимать), der Sieg < – siegen (победа – побеждать). But: das Spiel< – spielen (игра – играть).

The matter is also greatly simplified by the fact that you can take any verb in the indefinite form and attach a neuter article to it. The process name will be:

das Sprechen< – sprechen (говорение – говорить), das Leben < – leben (жизнь – жить), das Essen < – essen (еда – есть).

Signs that a word is masculine:

Signs that a word is feminine:

Signs that a word is neuter:

It is interesting that some nouns have different meanings depending on their gender. For example:

der See (lake) – die See (sea),
der Band (volume) – das Band (tape),
das Steuer (steering wheel, steering wheel) – die Steuer (tax),
der Leiter (leader) – die Leiter (ladder),
der Tor (fool) – das Tor (gate),
der Schild (shield) – das Schild (sign, tablet),
der Bauer (peasant) – das Bauer (cage)

A noun in German, as in Russian, has a gender category: masculine, feminine or neuter. At the same time, the gender of nouns in German and Russian often does not coincide. Therefore, nouns must be memorized with an article, which indicates the gender of the noun.

Remembering the gender of nouns is often difficult. However, many nouns have some features that help determine the gender of those nouns. The gender of nouns can be determined:

- according to the meaning of the word
- according to the form of the word

Masculine gender by meaning:

- male persons	der Mann (man)
- male animals	der Bär (bear)
- cardinal directions	der Norden (north)
- Seasons	der Sommer (summer)
- names of months	der Januar (January)
- days of the week	der Montag (Monday)
- times of day	der Morgen (morning), But die Nacht (night)
— precipitation	der Regen (rain)
- minerals	der Granit (granite)
- stones	der Rubin (ruby)
- names of mountains	der Harz (Harz)
- names of lakes	der Baikal (Baikal)
- alcohol	der Wodka (vodka), But das Bier (beer)
- monetary units	der Euro (euro), But die Kopeke (penny), die Krone (crown), die Mark (mark)
- celestial bodies	der Mond (moon), But die Venus (Venus)
- names of car brands	der Opel, der BMW

Masculine form:

-er	der Fahrer (driver)
-ler	der Sportler (athlete)
-ner	der Gärtner (gardener)
-ling	der Lehrling (student)
-s	der Fuchs (fox)

Note: don't confuse the suffix -er in derived nouns with words whose roots end in -er: die Mutter, die Tochter, das Fenster, etc.

— Foreign words (mostly animate) with suffixes:
-ent	der Student (student)
-ant	der Laborant (laboratory assistant)
-ist	der Publizist (publicist)
-et	der Poet (poet)
-ot	der Pilot (pilot)
-at	der Kandidat (candidate)
-soph	der Philosopher (philosopher)
-nom	der Astronom (astronomer)
-graph	der Photograph (photographer)
-eur	der Ingenieur (engineer)
-ier	der Pionier (pioneer)
-ar	der Jubilar (celebrant of the day)
-är	der Sekretär (secretary)
-or	der Doktor (doctor)

Note: inanimate nouns with suffixes -ent, -at,-et can be either masculine or neuter: der Kontinent - das Patent, der Apparat - das Referat, der Planet - das Alphabet.

Feminine by meaning:

- female persons	die Frau (woman), But das Mädchen
- female animals	die Kuh (cow), But das Huhn (chicken), das Schaf (sheep)
- tree names	die Birke (birch), But der Ahorn
- names of colors	die Aster (aster), But der Mohn (poppy), der Kaktus (cactus)
- names of berries	die Himbeere (raspberry)
- name of fruits and vegetables	die Birne (pear), But der Apfel (apple), der Pfirsich (peach), der Kohl (cabbage), der Kürbis (pumpkin)
- most German rivers	die Elbe, die Oder, die Spree,Butder Rhein, der Main, der Neckar

Feminine form:

— Nouns with suffixes:
-in	die Laborantin (lab assistant)
-ung	die Übung (exercise)
-heit	die Freiheit (freedom)
-keit	die Möglichkeit (opportunity)
-schaft	die Landschaft (landscape)
-ei	die Malerei (painting)

— Foreign words with stressed suffixes:
-ie	die Chemie (chemistry)
-tät	die Universität (university)
-tion	die Station
-ur	die Kultur (culture)
-ik	die Physik (physics)
-age	die Reportage
-ade	die Fassade (façade)
-anz	die Ambulanz (outpatient clinic)
-enz	die Existenz (existence)

Note: there are also a number of nouns male ending in -e: der Kollege, der Russe, der Junge, der Name, der Gedanke, der Käse and several nouns neuter: das Ende, das Interesse, das Auge.

Neuter by meaning:

- names of children and cubs	das Kind (child), das Lamm (lamb)
- metals and alloys	das Silber (silver), But der Stahl (steel), die Bronze (bronze)
- chemical elements	das Chlor (chlorine), But der Schwefel (sulphur), der Phosphor (phosphorus)
- continents	(das) Africa, But die Arktis (Arctic), die Antarktis (Antarctica)
- countries	(das) Germany, Butder Iran, der Iraq, der Sudan, die BRD, die Schweiz, die Türkei, die Mongolei, die Ukraine, die USA
- cities	(das) Moscow, But der Haag
- names of the islands	(das) Rügen, But die Krim (Crimea)
- physical units	das Kilowatt (kilowatt)
- languages	das Russisch (Russian language)

Neuter form:

— Foreign words (objects and abstract concepts) ending in:
-(i)um	das Stadium (stadium)
-ett	das Kabinett (office)
-ment	das Document (document)
-ma	das Drama (drama)
-o	das Kino (cinema)

— Substantivized infinitives:

das Laufen (running) - from laufen (to run) das Lesen (reading) - from lesen (read)

These are almost all the rules for determining the gender of a noun in German. However, do not forget that not all nouns fit these rules. The most reliable way not to get confused when assigning a noun to one gender or another is to simply learn it with an article!

The gender of compound nouns depends on the gender of the base word. The first part of a word is called a modifier, the last part of a compound word is called a base word.

Der Kuchen schrank(kitchen cabinet, kitchen cupboard) = die Küche (kitchen) + der Schrank (cabinet)

The base word of a compound noun can only be a noun. Various parts of speech act as a defining word: a singular noun (die Tischlampe - table lamp) and plural (der Kräutertee - herbal tea), a verb (das Schlafzimmer - bedroom), a short adjective (der Kurzstreik - short-term strike), pretext (das Nebenamt - part-time position).

The words that make up a compound noun are joined to each other either directly (das Schlafzimmer) or with the help of connecting elements -(e)s (die Lebensmittel), -(e)n (der Küchenschrank).

The gender of compound words also depends on the base word: der PKW = der Personenkraftwagen - passenger car. In German, some words are abbreviated so that only some part of the word remains - the beginning or the end. For example, die Universität (university) - die Uni, der Autobus (bus) - der Bus. A word shortened in this way retains the gender of the full word.

Some nouns have different meanings depending on their gender:

• der See (lake) - die See (sea),
• der Band (volume) - das Band (tape),
• das Steuer (steering wheel, steering wheel) - die Steuer (tax),
• der Leiter (head) - die Leiter (ladder),
• der Tor (fool) - das Tor (gate),
• der Schild (shield) - das Schild (sign, tablet),
• der Bauer (peasant) - das Bauer (cage)

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The gender of nouns (nouns) in German is particularly difficult for language learners, since the gender of German words often does not coincide with the gender of Russian words, and sometimes even seems illogical (for example, der Busen - breast (female), das Mädel - girl, das Kind - child).

In the German language there are three genders of nouns: masculine (Maskulinum), feminine (Femininum) and neuter (Neutrum). They correspond to articles: ein and der – masculine, eine and die – feminine, ein and das – neuter. At the initial stage of learning, it is recommended to learn words immediately with an article, since it is often difficult to determine gender without an article. Those who consider themselves advanced in learning German will be helped to determine the type of meaning of words and their suffixes and prefixes. However, it is possible to determine the genus by following the rules in approximately 50% of cases.

Usually, The masculine gender in German includes nouns. with the following suffixes:

• -er-: der Lehrer, der Zucker, der Computer. BUT! das Messer, das Fenster, das Monster.
• -ig-: der Honig, der Käfig, der Essig.
• -ich-: der Teppich, der Anstrich, der Kranich.
• -ling-: der Lehrling, der Frühling, der Zwilling. BUT! Die Reling
• -el-: der Schlüssel, der Ärmel, der Apfel.
• -s-: der Schnaps, der Keks, der Krebs.
• -ismus-: der Hinduismus, der Kapitalismus, der Sozialismus.
• -ant-: der Praktikant, der Demonstrant, der Lieferant.
• -or-: der Motor, der Konduktor, der Rektor.
• -eur-/ör: der Friseur, der Ingenieur, der Kollaborateur, der Likör.
• -us-: der Zirkus, der Kasus, der Numerus.
• -ent-: der Student, der Dozent, der Produzent.
• -ist-: der Polizist, der Kommunist, der Spezialist.
• -är-: der Revolutionär, der Reaktionär, der Millionär.
• -loge-: der Kardiologe, der Philologe, der Biologe.
• -and-: der Proband, der Doktorand, der Habilitand.
• -ast-: der Gymnasiast, der Fantast, der Kontrast.

The following nouns also belong to the masculine gender:

• formed from the root of the verb, sometimes with a change in the root vowel: der Schluss, der Fall, der Gang.
• Some words with the suffix -e- (the so-called weak declension) denoting male creatures (animals, people, nationalities): der Hase, der Junge, der Zeuge, der Russe, der Pole...

Most nouns are feminine. with suffixes:

• -e-: die Liebe, die Brille, die Schule. BUT! Der Name, das Interesse, das Ende.
• -ung-: die Wohnung, die Übung, die Werbung.
• -keit-: die Geschwindigkeit, die Kleinigkeit, die Höflichkeit.
• -heit-: die Wahrheit, die Einheit, die Krankheit.
• -schaft-: die Freundschaft, die Liebschaft, die Verwandtschaft.
• -ei-: die Druckerei, die Polizei, die Bücherei.
• -ie-: die Kopie, die Geographie, die Familie.
• -ät-: die Universität, die Qualität, die Realität.
• -itis-: die Bronchitis, die Pankreatitis, die Cholezystitis.
• -ik-: die Musik, die Politik, die Klinik.
• -ur-: die Kultur, die Frisur, die Temperatur.
• -age-: die Reportage, die Garage, die Blamage.
• -anz-: die Ignoranz, die Toleranz, die Distanz.
• -enz-: die Intelligenz, die Existenz, die Tendenz.
• -ion-: die Lektion, die Station, die Explosion.
• -a-: die Kamera, die Ballerina, die Aula.
• -ade-: die Olympiade, die Ballade, die Marmelade.
• -ette-: die Tablette, die Pinzette, die Toilette.
• -ose-: die Neurose, die Sklerose, die Psychose.
• - st-, formed from the verbs: die Gunst, die Kunst. BUT! Der Verdienst.
• -t-, formed from verbs: die Fahrt, die Macht, die Schrift.

The neuter gender includes nouns. with suffixes:

• -chen-, sometimes with alternating vowels in the root: das Märchen, das Mütterchen, das Hähnchen.
• -lein-, also with alternation in the root: das Büchlein, das Fräulein, das Kindlein.
• -um-: das Museum, das Stadium, das Datum.
• -ment-: das Regiment, das Document, das Engagement.
• -ett-: das Ballett, das Tablett, das Büfett.
• -ma-: das Thema, das Klima, das Schema.
• -ing-: das Shopping, das Training, das Jogging. BUT! der Browning, der Pudding.
• -o-: das Auto, das Konto, das Büro.
• -in-: das Benzin, das Cholesterin, das Nikotin.

The neuter gender also includes:

• verbal nouns formed from the infinitive: das Lesen, das Schreiben, das Hören.
• most nouns ending -tum: das Christentum, das Altertum, das Eigentum. BUT! der Irrtum, der Reichtum.
• most nouns ending -nis: das Ergebnis, das Bekenntnis, das Verständnis. BUT! die Erkenntnis, die Kenntnis, die Erlaubnis, die Finsternis.
• most nouns with the prefix ge-: das Gedicht, das Gemüse, das Gelände. BUT! die Gefahr, die Geschichte.
• substantivized adjectives: das Böse, das Gute, das Schlimmste.

Gender noun in German it can also be determined by meaning, although in this case there are even more exceptions.

So, The following names belong to the masculine gender:

• living male creatures: der Vater, der Arzt, der König;
• days of the week, months, seasons, parts of the world, natural phenomena: der Montag, der Winter, der Süden, der Schnee;
• train car brands: Mercedes, VW, Express;
• minerals, stones, incl. precious: der Sand, der Smaragd, der Rubin;
• most drink names: der Wein, der Cognac, der Tee. BUT! Die Milch, das Bier, das Wasser.

The feminine gender names include:

• females: die Frau, die Schwester, die Tochter. BUT! das Weib, das Mädel, das Fräulein;
• trees and flowers, some fruits: die Birke, die Eiche, die Narzisse, die Mango. BUT! Der Apfel, der Pfirsich, das Vergissmeinnicht;
• airplanes, ships, cigarette brands: die Boeing, die Falcon, die Titanic, die Europa, die Kamel, die Marlboro;
• numbers: die Drei, die Zehn, die Million. BUT! das Dutzend.

The neuter gender includes names:

• young creatures: das Kind, das Baby, das Ferkel;
• metals and chemical elements: das Kalzium, das Eisen, das Jod. BUT! Der Schwefel, der Phosphor, complex nouns. with the root -stoff: der Wasserstoff, der Sauerstoff;
• fractional numbers: das Viertel, das Drittel, das Zehntel;
• countries, continents and cities: das alte Europa, das heiße Afrika, das kalte Sibirien. BUT! Die Schweiz, die Ukraine, die Niederlanden (pl), die USA (pl), die Türkei, die Slowakei, die Mongolei, der Iran, der Iraq, der Jemen, der Sudan;
• physical units of measurement: das Volt, das Ampere, das Kilogramm.

The German language is famous for its compound words (those with 2 or more roots). The genus of such beings. determined by the last word:

Das Blei + der Stift = der Bleistift.

Die Reihe + das Haus = das Reihenhaus.

Das Schlafzimmer + die Tür = die Schlafzimmertür.

If you still have doubts and cannot accurately determine the gender of a being. in German, then don’t be lazy to look in the dictionary - then you definitely won’t make a mistake.

The definition of the gender of nouns in German is not very different from the Russian language, since it also has three genders: masculine, feminine and neuter. For correct denotation, the article is used. Animate nouns are identified by gender, while inanimate nouns require memorization or identification of special features.

How to determine the gender of a noun in German?

To determine the gender of nouns in German, special rules are used.

Masculine The table below will help you identify German nouns online. It should be remembered that the article der is used, and the masculine gender is indicated by the letter m.

Noun groups	Example
Differences by natural kind	der Lehrer (teacher), der Kaufman (salesman), der Vater (father), der Sohn (son), der Onkel (uncle)
Animals	der Esel (donkey), der Hahn (rooster), der Kater (cat)
Seasons Days of the week	der Mittwoch (Wednesday), der Winter (winter), der Februar (February)
Alcohol	der Kognak (cognac), der Wein (wine), der Wodka (vodka)
Car brands	der Mercedes, der BMW, der Opel
Minerals and rocks	der Diamant (diamond), der Granit (granite)
Cardinal directions, climate	der West (west), der Monsun (monsoon), der Regen (rain), der Reif (frost)
Mountain peaks	der Elbrus, der Mt.Everest ***In the case where the name is a compound word, the gender is determined by the main word. Example, die Zug spitz das Matter horn
Nouns that do not have a suffix and were formed from a verb	der Gang (walking), der Sprung (jumping)
Nouns with endings:	der Fuchs (fox), der Essig (vinegar), der Schmetterling (butterfly)
Words of foreign origin with endings: Ant, -ar, -ent, -et, -ist, -loge, -or, -us	der Doktorant (doctoral student), der Millionär, der Absolvent (graduate), der Prophet (prophet), der Ingenieur, der Pianist, der Biologe, der Lektor, der Zyklus ***There are exceptions – das Genus, das Tempus

Define feminine(the article die and the use of the letter f) of a noun in German online will help the following table.

Noun groups	Example
Differences by natural gender	Mutter (mother), die Tochter (daughter), die Lehrerin (teacher), die Verkäuferin (saleswoman), die Katze (cat), die Eselin (donkey), die Henne (chicken) ***In certain cases, grammatical gender does not correspond to natural gender. Example, die Wache (security guard), das Mannequin (fashion model), das Fräulein (girl), das Mädchen (girl), das Weib (woman). There is no difference according to natural gender. Example: das Rind (Bulle – Kuh), das Reh (Bock – Ricke). One word is used to denote a male and female animal: die Maus (mouse), das Wiesel (weasel)
Airplanes and ships	die Boeing, die DC 10
Types of flowers and trees	die Birke (birch), die Rose, die Orchidee ***If the name of the tree contains the word Baum, then the compound word is masculine: der Birnbaum (pear), der Kaffeebaum (coffee tree)
Name of tobacco products	die Camel
Substantivized numerals	die Eins (one), die Drei (three), die Hundert (hundred), die Million (million) *** Exception of numbers that indicate the number of the neuter gender: das Hundert (one hundred)
Nouns ending in -e	die Lampe (lamp), die Bremse (brake)
Noun formed from a verb ending in -t	die Fahrt (ride, ride), die Schlacht (strike) ***Exceptions: der Durst (thirst), der Frost (frost), der Verlust (loss), der Dienst (service), das Gift (poison)
The noun has a suffix Ei, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -ung	die Backerei (bakery), die Schönheit (beauty), die Ewigkeit (eternity), die Freundschaft (friendship), die Hoffnung (hope)
Words of foreign origin with endings Age, -at, anz, -enz, -ie, -ik, -ion, -ur	die Etage, die Qualität, die Allianz, die Konsistenz, die Geographie, die Physik, die Revolution, die Dressur

Neuter gender is marked with the letter n, and the article das is used. The designations of neuter nouns are given in the table.

Noun groups	Example
Cafes, cinemas, hotels and hotels	das Leipzig, das Astoria
Chemical elements	das Kupfer (copper), das Radium (radium)
Language, units, letters and colors	das Liter (liter), das Schwarz (black), das Englische (English), das Hindi (Hindi)
Household chemicals	das E, das Ariel
Islands, continents, cities and terrain. Moreover, if there is no article in the name, then if there is an adjective or participle, the noun is used with the article das	(das nordliche) Afrika, (das alte) Moskau
The diminutive suffix -chen and -lein is used	das Mäuschen (mouse), das Tischlein (table)
Collective noun with the prefix Ge-	das Gebirge (mountains), das Gerede (talks, rumors)
Foreign words ending in -ett, -il, -ma, -o, -(m)ent, -um	das Tablett (tray), das Ventil (valve), das Drama (drama), das Auto (machine), das Dokument (document), das Gymnasium (gymnasium)
Substantivized infinitives	das Sprechen (talk), das Lesen (reading)
Almost all nouns end in -nis	das Ergebnis (result), das Gedächtnis (memory) ***Definite nouns can be feminine or plural: die Erlaubnis (permission, feminine), die Wildnis (wilderness, feminine), die Bitternis – bitterness (feminine) or grief (plural). )

Compound nouns

The gender of compound nouns depends on the gender of the base word. In this case, the first part is the defining word, and the last is the main word.

Der Küchenschrank (kitchen cabinet, kitchen cupboard) = die Küche (kitchen) + der Schrank (cabinet).

In a complex noun, the main word is only the name of the noun, and the defining word can be all kinds of parts of speech:

• Singular die Tisch lampe- desk lamp.
• In the plural –der Kräuter tee- herbal tea.
• Verb – das Schlafzimmer- bedroom.
• Short form adjective – der Kurz streik- short-term strike.
• Preposition – das Neben amt- part-time position.

Words in a compound noun are joined to each other directly (das Schlafzimmer), or with the help of connecting elements -(e)s, (e)n – die Lebensmittel, der Küchenschrank.

When defining complex abbreviated words, you should also pay attention to the main word. For example, a passenger car – der PKW = der Personenkraftwagen.

In German, certain words are shortened so that only the beginning of the word or the end remains. An example is – die Universität (university) – die Uni, der Autobus (bus) – der Bus. Thanks to such abbreviations, the gender of the full word is preserved.

Please note that some nouns have different meanings depending on their gender. These include:

• der See (lake) – die See (sea);
• der Band (volume) – das Band (tape);
• das Steuer (steering wheel, steering wheel) – die Steuer (tax);
• der Leiter (leader) – die Leiter (ladder);
• der Tor (fool) – das Tor (gate);
• der Schild (shield) – das Schild (sign, tablet);
• der Bauer (peasant) – das Bauer (cage).

Determining the gender of German nouns online

To reinforce the material, we suggest you learn how to determine the case of a noun in German and use the correct article instead of dots. Exercises to determine the gender of a noun in German

a. by semantic meaning

• male persons:
  der Mann - man, der Onkel - uncle;
• male animals:
  der Bär - bear, der Hahn - rooster;
• names of countries of the world, lakes, mountains and winds:
  der Osten - east, der Bodensee - Lake Constance,
  der Harz - Harz, der Taifun - typhoon;
• names of seasons, months and days of the week:
  der Sommer - summer, der Januar - January, der Sonntag - Sunday.

b. according to form

• nouns with suffixes -er, -neg, -ler, -ling:
  der Schlosser - mechanic, der Redner - speaker,
  der Sportler - athlete, der Lehrling - student;
• most of the nouns formed from the stem of the verb without adding a suffix:
  der Lauf (running) - from laufen (to run)
  der Sprung (jump) - from springen (jump);
• foreign language (borrowed from other languages) nouns with suffixes -ist, -ent, -ant, -eur, -är, -or, -ismus:
  der Polizist, der Student, der Aspirant, der Ingenieur, der Militär, der Doktor, der Egoismus.

The feminine gender in German includes:

a. by semantic meaning

nouns meaning:
• female persons:
  die Frau - woman, die Tante - aunt.
  Exception: das Mädchen - girl, girl, das Weib - woman, woman;
• some female animals:
  die Kuh - cow, die Katze - cat.
  Exception: das Schaf - sheep;
• names of most flowers, trees and songbirds:
  die Rose - rose, die Tanne - spruce, die Eiche - oak,
  die Lerche - lark, die Nachtigall - nightingale;
• names of most German rivers:
  die Elbe - Elbe, die Spree - Spree, die Saale - Saale, etc.
  Exception: der Rhein, der Main, der Neckar, der Inn;
• names of rivers that have feminine equivalents in Russian:
  die Wolga - Volga, die Oka - Oka, die Kama - Kama ( with the exception of: der Ob - Ob).

b. according to form

• nouns with suffixes -in, -ung, -keit, -heit, -schaft, -ei:

• -in:
  die Sängerin - singer
  die Bärin - she-bear
• -ung:
  die Forderung - requirement
  die Zeitung - newspaper
• - keit:
  die Möglichkeit - opportunity
  die Richtigkeit - correctness
• -heit:
  die Kindheit - childhood
  die Neuheit - news
• - schaft:
  die Wirtschaft - farming
  die Bereitschaft - readiness
• -ei:
  die Bäckerei - bakery
  die Bücherei - library;

• borrowed nouns with suffixes -ie, -ik, -ion, -tion, -tät, -ur:
  die Chemie, die Mathematik, die Million, die Organisation, die Fakultät, die Natur.

The neuter gender in German includes:

a. by semantic meaning

• names of parts of the world, countries and cities:
  (das) Europa - Europe, (das) China - China, (das) Belgien - Belgium,
  (das) München - Munich, (das) Prag - Prague, etc.
  Exception: country names ending with -ei, -au:
  die Mongolei - Mongolia, die Moldau - Moldova, and also die Schweiz - Switzerland,
  der Iran - Iran, die Ukraine - Ukraine and some others;
• names of metals:
  das Eisen - iron, das Gold - gold, etc.
  Exception: der Stahl - steel, der Schwefel - sulfur;
• names of children (baby animals):
  das Kind - child, das Kalb - calf, das Lamm - lamb, etc.;
• letter names:
  das "A", das "Z".

b. according to form

• diminutive nouns with suffixes -chen, -lein and with suffixes -tel, -tum:
  das Häuschen - house, das Büchlein - little book,
  das Viertel - quarter, das Eigentum - property;
• nouns formed from adjectives by means of a suffix -e and denoting abstract concepts:
  das Neue - new, das Interessante - interesting;
• borrowed nouns with suffix -um, -ment:
  das Museum - museum, das Dokument - document.

Some German nouns, with the same spelling and pronunciation, have different meanings depending on their gender:
• die See (sea) - der See (lake);
  die Steuer (tax) - das Steuer (steering wheel), etc.

The gender of nouns in German and Russian often does not match, so it is necessary to remember nouns with a definite article.

Compare:

• das Pferd (neuter) - horse (feminine);
  der Hund (masculine) - dog (feminine);
  der Baum (masculine) - tree (neuter);
  die Stunde (feminine) - lesson (masculine);
  der Spiegel (masculine) - mirror (neuter), etc.

The gender of any noun can be checked in a dictionary. In dictionaries, the following abbreviations are used to indicate the gender of a noun:
• m(from the Latin word masculinum- masculine);
• f(from the Latin word feminine- feminine gender);
• n(from the Latin word neutral- neuter gender).