This lesson introduces the three German genders with examples, a short composition, and a conversation, making it clear how to use each gender.

Gender in German

In German, every noun has a gender. There are three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. The gender of a noun affects the article used with it. Let’s explore each gender with examples.

A. Masculine (der)

Masculine nouns take the article “der”. These nouns often refer to male people, professions, or animals, but many objects and concepts are also masculine in German language.

Sentence examples

1. Der Hund ist mein bester Freund. = The dog is my best friend.

2. Der Baum ist sehr hoch. = The tree is very tall.

3. Der Lehrer erklärt die Aufgabe. = The teacher explains the task.

B. Feminine (die)

Feminine nouns take the article “die”. These nouns often refer to female people, professions, or animals, but many other words are feminine as well.

Sentence examples

1. Die Katze schläft auf dem Sofa. = The cat sleeps on the sofa.

2. Die Blume blüht im Garten. = The flower blooms in the garden.

3. Die Lehrerin ist sehr nett. = The teacher is very kind.

C. Neuter (das)

Neuter nouns take the article “das”. Neuter nouns often refer to young creatures, diminutives, or inanimate objects.

Sentence examples

1. Das Kind spielt mit seinem Ball. = The child plays with their ball.

2. Das Haus ist groß und schön. = The house is big and beautiful.

3. Das Auto fährt schnell. = The car drives fast.