German Gender Hints

Front 1

Days, months, and seasons:
Montag, Juli, Sommer (Monday, July, summer)

Back 1

always masculine (der/ein)

except: das Frühjahr (another word for spring)

Front 2

Nouns ending in the following suffixes: -heit, -keit, -tät, -ung, -schaft
Examples: Freiheit, Schnelligkeit, Universität, Zeitung, Freundschaft

Back 2

always feminine (die/eine)

Front 3

Nouns ending in -er, when referring to people

Back 3

usually masculine (der/ein)

except: die Jungfer, die Mutter, die Schwester, die Tochter, das Fenster

Front 4

Points of the compass, map locations and winds:
Nordwest(en) (northwest), Süd(en) (south), der Föhn (warm wind out of the Alps), der Scirocco (sirocco, a hot desert wind)

Back 4

always masculine (der/ein)

Front 5

Nouns ending in -chen or -lein: Fräulein, Häuschen, Kaninchen, Mädchen

Back 5

always neuter (das/ein)

Front 6

Precipitation: Regen, Schnee, Nebel (rain, snow, fog/mist

Back 6

always masculine (der/ein)

Front 7

Geographic place names (towns, countries, continents): Berlin, Deutschland, Brasilien, Afrika

Back 7

usually neuter (das/ein)

except e.g.:der Irak, der Jemen, die Schweiz, die Türkei, die USA [plur.]

Front 8

Most nouns ending in -e: Ecke, Ente, Grenze, Pistole, Seuche

Back 8

usually feminine (die/eine)

except:der Deutsche, das Ensemble, der Friede, der Junge ([the] German, ensemble, peace, boy)

Front 9

Nouns ending in -ie: Drogerie, Geographie, Komödie, Industrie, Ironie

Back 9

always feminine (die/eine)

Front 10

Agents (people who do something), most occupations and nationalities

Back 10

usually masculine (der/ein)

Front 11

Names of aircraft, ships and motorbikes

Back 11

always feminine (die/eine)

Front 12

Infinitives used as nouns (gerunds)

Back 12

always neuter (das/ein)

Front 13

Names of cars and trains

Back 13

always masculine (der/ein)

Front 14

Young animals and people: Baby, Küken

Back 14

usually neuter (das/ein)

except: der Junge

Front 15

Nouns ending in -in that pertain to female people, occupations, nationalities:
Amerikanerin, Studentin

Back 15

usually feminine (die/eine)

Front 16

Almost all of the 112 known chemical elements

Back 16

always neuter (das/ein)

5 excepts: der Kohlenstoff (carbon), der Sauerstoff (oxygen), der Stickstoff (nitrogen), der Wasserstoff (hydrogen), der Schwefel (sulphur)

Front 17

Words ending in -ismus:
Journalismus, Kommunismus, Synchronismus (equal -ism words in English)

Back 17

always masculine (der/ein)

Front 18

Most metals: Aluminium, Blei, Kupfer, Messing, Zinn

Back 18

usually neuter (das/ein)

Front 19

Nouns ending in -ik:
Grammatik, Grafik, Klinik, Musik, Panik, Physik

Back 19

always feminine (der/ein)

Front 20

Names of alcoholic drinks: der Wein, der Wodka

Back 20

usually masculine (der/ein)

except: das Bier

Front 21

Nouns ending in -o (often cognates from Latin):
Auto, Büro, Kasino, Konto (account), Radio, Veto, Video

Back 21

usually neuter (das/ein)

excepts: die Avocado, die Disko, der Euro, der Scirocco

Front 22

Borrowed (foreign) nouns ending in: -ade, -age, -anz, -enz, -ette, -ine, -ion, -tur:
Parade, Blamage (shame), Bilanz, Distanz, Frequenz, Serviette (napkin), Limonade, Nation, Konjunktur (economic trend)

Back 22

always feminine (der/ein)

rare expect: der Nomade

Front 23

Words ending in -ner: Rentner, Schaffner, Zentner, Zöllner

Back 23

always masculine (der/ein)

Front 24

Fractions: Viertel (¼), Drittel

Back 24

usually neuter (das/ein)

Front 25

Nouns ending in -ei: Partei, Schweinerei

Back 25

usually feminine (der/ein)

except: das Ei, der Papagei

Front 26

Names of hotels, cafés and theaters

Back 26

always neuter (das/ein)

Front 27

Names of mountains and lakes: der Berg, der See

Back 27

usually masculine (der/ein)

Front 28

The basic "atmospheric" elements that end in -stoff: Sauerstoff (oxygen), Stickstoff (nitrogen), Wasserstoff (hydrogen), carbon (der Kohlenstoff), Schwefel (sulphur)

Back 28

always masculine (der/ein)

Front 29

Most types of flowers and trees: Birke, Chrysantheme, Eiche, Rose

Back 29

usually feminine (der/ein)

except: der Ahorn, (maple), das Gänseblümchen (daisy), der Baum (tree)

Front 30

Names of colors used as nouns: Blau, Rot

Back 30

always neuter (das/ein)

Front 31

Borrowed (foreign) nouns ending in -isse, -itis, -ive: Hornisse, Initiative (hornet, initiative)

Back 31

usually feminine (der/eine)

Front 32

Most nouns ending in -ich, -ling, -ist: Rettich, Sittich, Schädling, Frühling, Pazifist

Back 32

usually masculine (der/ein)

Front 33

Most nouns ending in -tum or -um: Christentum, Königtum

Back 33

usually neuter (das/ein)

except: der Irrtum, der Reichtum

Front 34

Names of colors used as nouns: das Blau, das Rot (blue, red)

Back 34

always neuter (das/ein)

Front 35

Cardinal numbers: eine Eins, eine Drei (a one, a three)

Back 35

usually feminine (der/eine)

Front 36

Most nouns starting with Ge-: Genick, Gerät, Geschirr, Geschlecht, Gesetz, Gespräch

Back 36

usually neuter (das/ein)

some excepts: der Gebrauch, der Gedanke, die Gefahr, der Gefallen, der Genuss

Front 37

Most borrowed (foreign) nouns ending in -ment: Ressentiment, Supplement

Back 37

usually neuter (das/ein)

except: der Zement

Front 38

Most rivers outside of Europe: Amazonas, Kongo, Mississippi

Back 38

usually masculine (der/ein)

Front 39

Most nouns ending in -nis: Versäumnis

Back 39

usually neuter (das/ein)

except: die Erlaubnis, die Erkenntnis, die Finsternis