German Grammar Lectures

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German Grammar Lectures

• Lecture 1
• The Gender of German Nouns
• Designed by Paul Joyce
• University of Portsmouth
• E-Mail Paul.Joyce_at_port.ac.uk

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1.1 German noun declension

• There is no noun declension as such in German.
  Exceptions
• -(e)s endings on masculine and neuter nouns in
  the genitive case
• -(e)n endings on nouns in the dative plural
• Endings on weak masculine nouns

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1.2 German Articles

• Instead German cases are shown by means of the
  articles i.e. words such as aor the which are
  invariable in English.
• The German definite article is called der and
  equates to English the.
• The German indefinite article is called ein and
  equates to English a.

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1.3 The Definite Article
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1.4 The Indefinite Article
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1.5 Know your genders!

• For this reason you must learn German nouns
  together with their gender as shown by the
  relevant definite article!
• As the previous tables indicate, German nouns
  have one of three genders masculine, feminine or
  neuter.
• There are no gender differences in the plural in
  German.

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1.6 Quick Quiz (1)

• Because things are always referred to as it in
  English, English students of German tend to guess
  the gender of an unfamiliar word as neuter -
  das.
• But are they right to do so?
• Which of the three genders actually occurs most
  often in German?

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1.7 Quiz Answer

• Approximately 45 of German nouns are masculine.
• 35 of German nouns are feminine.
• Only 20 of German nouns are neuter!

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1.8 Typisch deutsch!

• Whereas in English gender virtually always
  corresponds logically to the sex of the noun,
  this is not the case in German.
• Most German nouns denoting male people and
  animals are in fact masculine, and those denoting
  females are mostly feminine.
• BUT there are exceptions - das Mädchen, das
  Fräulein, das Weib!

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1.9 Typisch deutsch (2)!

• And unlike English nouns, names of inanimate
  objects may be masculine, feminine or neuter in
  German.
• This state of affairs prompted the 19th Century
  American writer Mark Twain to make the following
  comment about the German language

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1.10 Mark Twain on German genders

• In German, a young lady has no sex, while a
  turnip has.
• Think what over-wrought reverence that shows for
  the turnip, and what callous disrespect for the
  girl. (Mark Twain, 1880)

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1.11 Basic rules of German gender

• Whilst you should always learn the gender of any
  new noun that you encounter, you should also
  remember that
• Certain nouns have a particular gender because of
  their meaning.
• Other nouns have a particular gender because of
  their form.

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1.12 Quiz (2) Gender by meaning

• The meaning of the following nouns tells you
  their gender. Which is it? And why?

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1.13 Quiz (2) - Masculine

• der Arzt der Löwe - male person / animal
• der Süden - point of the compass
• der Herbst - season of the year
• der Mittwoch - day of the week
• der Januar - month of the year
• der Kaffee - plant-based drink

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1.14 Quiz (2) - Others

• die Ärztin - female person
• die Löwin - female animal
• das Baby - young person
• das Pony - young animal
• das Ypsilon - letter of the alphabet (and musical
  notes)

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1.15 Quiz (3) - Meaning

• Same again - only tougher!

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1.16 Quiz (3) - Masculine

• der Euro - currency (BUT das Pfund!)
• der Balkan - mountain (range)
• der Hagel - weather phenomena
• der Abend - part of day (BUT die Nacht)
• der Wein - alcoholic drink (BUT das Bier!)
• der Mercedes - make of car
• der Amazonas - non-German river

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1.17 Quiz (3) - Feminine

• die Elbe - German river (many exceptions der
  Rhein der Main der Inn der Lech)
• die Vier - name of numeral
• die Boeing - aeroplane (BUT der Airbus)
• (die Honda - name of motorbike)
• (die Bismarck - name of ship)

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1.18 Quiz (3) - Neuter

• Köln, Spanien, Europa - city, country, continent
• das Atom - physical unit (i.e. das Pfund)
• das Gold - metals, chemical elements (BUT die
  Bronze der Stahl, Schwefel)
• Deutsch - languages (like most non-nouns used as
  nouns - das Ach, das Du, Doping)

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1.19 Exceptions gender by meaning

• There are many exceptions to these rules. Just
  think of countries!
• masculine - der Irak, der Iran, der Libanon, der
  Sudan, der Jemen, der Kongo
• feminine - die Schweiz die Türkei, die
  Tschechische Republik, die Antarktis
• plural - die USA die Niederlande

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1.20 Quiz (4) Gender by endings

• Find the gender again - now using endings!

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1.21 Quiz (4) Masculine nouns

• -ant - der Konsonant der Diamant
• -ich - der Teppich der Wüterich
• -ismus - der Marxismus, der Realismus
• -(m)us - der Rhythmus der Kasus
• -or - der Motor (BUT das Labor)
• -pf, -ps - der Kopf der Schlips
• -tz - der Blitz der Sitz

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1.22 Quiz (4) Feminine endings

• -a - die Villa die Aura (BUT NOT -ma)
• -ei - die Datei die Bücherei
• -heit - die Einheit die Gesundheit
• -ik - die Panik (BUT der Atlantik, Pazifik)
• -schaft - die Botschaft, die Gesellschaft
• -sion - die Illusion die Explosion
• -tät - die Qualität die Universität

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1.23 Quiz (4) Neuter endings

• -chen - das Bisschen, das Mädchen
• -ell (stressed) - das Duell das Rondell
• -ett (stressed) - das Kabinett das Ballett
• -it - das Dynamit (BUT der Profit, Granit)
• -ma - das Schema (BUT die Firma)
• -tel - das Viertel, das Drittel
• -um - das Album (BUT der Konsum)

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1.24 Quiz (5) - Endings

• Find the gender again - now using endings!

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1.25 Quiz (5) Masculine nouns

• -ast - der Kontrast
• -ig - der Honig der Pfennig
• -ling - der Liebling
• Note also that most nouns formed from a strong
  verb without a suffix are masculine der Fall,
  der Biss, der Gang, der Schluss
• (BUT das Band, Schloss, Verbot)

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1.26 Quiz (5) Feminine nouns

• -anz, -enz - die Eleganz, die Existenz
• -ie - die Biologie die Hysterie
• -in - die Freundin ( female being)
• -keit - die Heiterkeit
• -tion - die Revolution die Station
• -ur - die Natur (BUT das Abitur, Futur)
• -ung - die Meinung
• -sis - die Basis

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1.27 Quiz (5) Neuter nouns

• -il - das Ventil
• -in - das Benzin, Protein ( chemical terms)
• -lein - das Büchlein das Fräulein
• -ment - das Element (BUT der Zement)
• -tel - das Viertel, das Drittel
• -tum - das Eigentum (BUT der Irrtum, der
  Reichtum)

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1.28 Tendencies -nis endings

• We can only speak of tendencies with the
  following types of endings
• -nis - 70 neuter endings das Ereignis, das
  Erlebnis, das Bedürfnis, das Ärgernis, das
  Geständnis, das Geheimnis, das Zeugnis
• -nis - 30 feminine endings die Erlaubnis, die
  Erkenntnis, die Kenntnis, die Finsternis, die
  Besorgnis, die Wildnis

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1.29 Tendencies -er endings

• Nouns in -er denoting male persons are masculine
  der Leiter (leader) der Bäcker
• Many other -er nouns are also masculine -
  especially instruments or tools der Computer,
  der Wecker, der Stecker
• BUT many common -er nouns are feminine die
  Butter, die Mauer, die Ader, die Feder, die
  Nummer, die Mutter, die Schwester

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1.30 Tendencies -er endings (2)

• And some 15 of -er nouns are neuter das
  Fenster das Fieber das Wasser das Alter
• Careful! Some -er nouns have two meanings
  depending on their gender
• der Leiter ( leader) die Leiter ( ladder)
• der Laster ( lorry) das Laster ( vice)
• die Steuer (tax) das Steuer (steering wheel)

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1.31 Tendencies -el endings

• The majority of -el nouns are masculine der
  Onkel der Enkel der Flügel
• About 25 of them however are feminine die
  Wurzel die Regel die Insel die Schüssel die
  Kartoffel die Gabel die Nadel
• The rest of them are neuter das Segel das
  Mittel das Bündel das Mädel

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1.32 Tendencies -en endings

• About 60 of -en nouns are masculine der
  Schatten der Regen der Magen
• None of them are feminine!
• Verbal infinitives ending in -en are neuter - das
  Kommen, das Essen, das Streben)
• Other -en nouns are also neuter das Leben das
  Zeichen das Becken

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1.33 Tendencies -e endings

• About 90 of -e nouns are feminine die Kirche
  die Dame die Straße etc.
• There are a number of exceptions
• 1) Two masculines - der Käse, der Charme
• 2) Weak masculine nouns
• 3) Neuter nouns beginning with Ge-
• 4) Other neuters das Auge, das Ende, das
  Interesse, das Image

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1.34 Tendencies -al endings

• Nouns ending in a stressed -al tend to be neuter
  das Ritual das Lineal das Journal, das
  Tribunal, das Arsenal etc.
• There are a number of exceptions
• Masculine - der Kanal, der General, der Skandal
• Feminine - die Moral

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1.35 Tendencies -(i)cht endings

• Nouns ending in -cht tend to be feminine die
  Nacht die Macht die Sicht, die Pflicht
• Exceptions das Recht das Licht
• BUT polysyllabic nouns ending in -icht tend to be
  neuter - das Dickicht, Röhricht
• Exceptions - der Bericht die Nachricht

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1.36 Tendencies Ge- nouns

• 90 of nouns starting with Ge- are neuter das
  Gebäude das Gesetz das Gerät das Gesicht, das
  Gespräch etc.
• Exceptions include 11 masculine nouns
• They are der Gebrauch, der Gedanke, der
  Gefallen, der Gehalt, der Gehorsam, der Genuss,
  der Geruch, der Gesang, der Geschmack, der
  Gestank, der Gewinn

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1.37 Tendencies Ge- nouns (2)

• Weak masculine nouns der Genosse / die Genossin
  der Geselle / die Gesellin
• 11 feminine Ge- nouns die Gebärde, die Gebühr,
  die Geburt, die Geduld, die Gefahr, die Gemeinde,
  die Geschichte, die Geschwulst, die Gestalt, die
  Gewähr, die Gewalt
• der Gefallen (favour) das Gefallen (pleasure)
• der Gehalt (content) das Gehalt (salary)

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1.38 Tendencies Imported nouns

• The tendency to say that imported nouns are
  automatically neuter should be resisted!
• This is true for some endings - i.e. -o / -eau
  das Auto, das Büro, das Kino, das Konto
• Other imported noun endings are neuter if they
  refer to things (-är das Militär, Salär -ent
  das Talent) but masculine when they refer to
  people der Aktionär der Student

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1.39 Gender of imported nouns (2)

• Other imported endings are feminine
• -ade die Marmelade, die Ballade
• -age die Garage, die Etage, die Courage
• -elle die Frikadelle, die Bagatelle
• -ette die Etikette, die Toilette
• -itis die Bronchitis, die Arthritis
• -ose die Neurose, die Tuberkulose
• -üre die Broschüre

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1.40 Recent imported nouns

• Large scale borrowing of words from English is a
  characteristic feature of modern German.
• Many English words adopt the gender of the
  nearest German equivalent
• der Airport ( der Flughafen)
• das Bike ( das Fahrrad)
• der Shop ( der Laden)

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1.41 Recent imported nouns (2)

• BUT it is the ending of some English words that
  determines the gender in German
• die City, die Party, die Publicity (because -ie
  is a feminine ending)
• der Computer, der Dimmer, der Container (as -er
  for instruments is masculine)
• Monosyllabic nouns from verbs are often
  masculine der Hit, der Look, der Talk

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1.42 Gender of compound nouns

• Compound nouns usually have the gender of their
  final component
• der Plan hence der Fahrplan
• das Bad hence das Hallenbad
• Exceptions das Wort BUT die Antwort
• der Mut BUT die Armut, die Schwermut
• die Scheu BUT der Abscheu

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1.43 Gender of abbreviations

• The gender of abbreviations is determined by the
  basic word
• die CDU die Christlich-Demokratische Union
• der HSV der Hamburger Sportverein
• Shortened words have the gender of the full form
  die Uni (die Universität) der Krimi (der
  Kriminalroman) der Akku (der Akkumulator)
• BUT das Foto despite die Fotografie

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1.44 Quiz Conclusion

• See how important it is to know gender rules and
  exceptions! Using the articles below state how
  many items there are and their case
• Question 1 die Lehrer der Lehrerin
• Question 2 der Mauer der Maurer
• Question 3 die Katze die Schätze
• Question 4 die Mädchen den Männchen

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1.45 Quiz Answers

• die Lehrer (masc. plural - nom. / acc.) der
  Lehrerin (fem. singular - genitive / dative)
• der Mauer (fem. singular - genitive / dative der
  Maurer (masc. plural. - genitive)
• die Katze (fem. singular - nom. / acc.) die
  Schätze (masc. plural - nom. / acc.)
• die Mädchen (neuter plural - nom. / acc.) den
  Männchen (neuter plural - dative)