Nuts & Bolts of German: Nouns: Male or female [Audio]

The English sentence "I met a friend." doesn't convey the information whether you met a male friend or a female friend. In German, you will have to be more specific since there is a word for "male friend" (Freund) and one for "female friend" (Freundin). The same goes for many nouns denoting people, e.g. partner, student, inhabitant. Most professions and nationalities have a male and a female version as well.

 

Complete the table and fill in the gap in the rule under the table. Then press [Check] to see whether you were correct. Use the [Hint] button to get a free letter if you need help.

 

You can also listen to the sound file to check what you have done.

 

 

male version female version

Willy Brandt, Bundeskanzler (1969 - 1974)

Angela Merkel, Bundeskanzlerin (2005 - 2021)

Lehrer Lehrerin
Freund Freundin
Partner
Einwohner
Sportlerin
Informatiker
Schweizer
Studentin
Professor
Musiker
Arbeiterin
Fotografin

The feminine form is usually created by adding - to the male form.

           Umlaute & Eszett:          

 

Wörterbuch (LEO) Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS) Wörterbuch (Linguee) Wörterbuch (dict.cc)  Wörterbuch (PONS) Terminologie A - Z

 

Tip: If you don't belong to the lucky few who possess a photographic memory, write down what you learnt while doing this exercise.   

photos:

photo of Willy Brandt: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Willy_Brandt.jpg

photo of Angela Merkel: (scaled down)  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Angela_Merkel_-_2017248174501_2017-09-05_CDU_Wahlkampf_Heidelberg_-_Sven_-_1D_X_MK_II_-_508_-_B70I6424.jpg