German Neutral Nouns

German Neutral Nouns

We all know how difficult it is to guess the right gender if it comes to German nouns. The bad news is: There is no official rule for when to use der, die and das. The good news is: There are guidelines which will make it easier to choose between them. In this post we will be looking at the guidlines for das words. You might also want to check out our blog about male nouns and female nouns. 🙂

Guidlines for Neutral Nouns

1. Young People and Animals

Nouns which refer to a young person or animal are usually das words. Here are some examples:

2. Colours

Colours when used as a noun are das words. Here is a list of the most common ones:

3. Names of Hotels and Theatres

Hotel and theatre names are usually das words. Here are some examples:

4. Verbs used as Nouns

All verbs which are used as nouns are das words. Here are some examples:

5. Adjectives used as nouns

All adjectives which are used as nouns are das words. Here are some examples:

6. Nouns with the Prefix Ge-

Most nouns which start with Ge- are das words. Here are some examples:

There are however few exceptions. For example: die Geburt – birth, die Geduld – patience etc

7. Certain Endings

Nouns that end in the following are always das nouns:

• chen
• lein

Here are some examples:

The nouns that end in the following are also usually das nouns:

• o
• nis

Here are some examples: