Der, die or das – the rules

39 rules, counted against 2000 words

None of these rules holds without exception – so each one says how firm it is and how often it applies to your words.

By the endingThe most reliable rules

die -ung148 words · 1 exception mostly die -heit17 words always die -keit21 words always die -schaft7 words always die -ion37 words · 1 exception mostly die -tät9 words always die -ur13 words · 2 exceptions mostly die -ik17 words · 2 exceptions mostly die -ei6 words · 3 exceptions often die -ie35 words · 1 exception mostly die -e402 words · 45 exceptions mostly der -er133 words · 45 exceptions often der -ling2 words always der -ich4 words always der -ig4 words always der -or12 words · 3 exceptions often der -ant3 words · 1 exception often das -chen13 words · 3 exceptions often das -ment11 words · 1 exception mostly das -nis9 words · 2 exceptions often das -um12 words · 1 exception mostly das -o13 words · 6 exceptions often

By the meaningWhole groups of words

der Days of the week8 words always der Months and seasons16 words always der Weather and precipitation9 words always der Points of the compass4 words always der Men and boys15 words always die Women and girls10 words always die Trees and flowers10 words always die Numbers as nouns3 words always das Young living things7 words always das Metals3 words always das Colours as nouns6 words · 1 exception mostly das Verbs as nouns6 words always

By how the word is builtHolds without exception

allCompound words always allIn the plural it is always die always

In the end only one thing helps: always learn a word together with its article. The rules are a good guess when you don't know it – no substitute for practice.