ARTICLES
Definite: der (m), die (f), das (n), die (p)
Indefinite: ein/kein (m), eine/keine (f), ein/kein (n), einige/keine (p).
GENDER
- Males are usually masculine.
- Females are usually feminine.
- But: das Mädchen, das Fräulein.
- Most nouns ending in e, ung, schaft, keit, heit, erei and in are feminine.
- Most nouns ending in er are masculine.
- Nouns ending in chen and lein are neuter.
- Nouns formed from the infinitive of verbs are neuter.
- Compound nouns take the gender of the last noun.
PLURAL
- Most nouns ending in 'e' add 'n'.
- Most other, feminine nouns add 'en'.
- Feminine nouns ending in 'in' add 'nen'.
- Masculine nouns ending in 'er' don't change.
- Most foreign nouns add 's'.
- Nouns ending in 'chen' and 'lein' don't change.
- Other ways: -e, -uml-, -uml-e, -er, -uml-er.
- Umlaut is usually on last vowell except -äu-
© 2000 Mike Wills Learning Services