Guessing a noun's gender from its ending
German gender isn't random: many word endings reliably signal der, die or das. Learn the high-frequency suffixes and you'll guess right most of the time.
You still learn every noun with its article, but word endings give you a strong head start:
- die (feminine): -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -tion, -ei, -ie — die Wohnung, die Freiheit, die Information
- das (neuter): -chen, -lein (diminutives — "made small", so neuter), -um, -ment — das Mädchen, das Brötchen
- der (masculine): -er (a doer), -ling, -ismus, -ig, -ant — der Lehrer, der Frühling
These rules are reliable, not absolute. The famous trap is das Mädchen: it means "girl" but the -chen ending forces neuter, regardless of meaning. Treat the ending as a strong default and confirm with the dictionary when in doubt.
Examples
die Wohnung, die Freiheit, die Information
the flat, freedom, the information (all -ung/-heit/-tion → feminine)
das Mädchen, das Brötchen
the girl, the bread roll (the -chen ending makes both neuter)
Common mistakes
The -chen ending is always neuter, even though a Mädchen is a girl. Ending beats meaning.