Nouns ending in -er: der
derMasculine (der)
Agent nouns ending in -er are often masculine.
How reliable is this rule?
In our rule set: Often (a tendency with many exceptions).
In our word lists, nouns ending in -er that take der: 27 of 49.
Examples ending in -er
- derLehrer
teacher · pl. Lehrer
- derComputer
computer · pl. Computer
- derFahrer
- derArbeiter
- derSpieler
- derFernseher
television · pl. Fernseher
- derDrucker
printer · pl. Drucker
Look-alikes: same ending, different article
These nouns end in the same letters but do not take der. Some come from our lists, some are common words we checked by hand. Matching letters alone are not always enough, so check the word.
- dasBadezimmer
bathroom
- dasBier
beer
- dieButter
butter
- dasFenster
window
- dasFeuer
fire
- dasFieber
fever
- dasGewitter
thunderstorm
- dieGroßmutter
grandmother
- dasMeer
sea / ocean
- dieMutter
mother
- dieNummer
number
- dasPapier
paper
- dasSchlafzimmer
bedroom
- dieSchulter
shoulder
- dieSchwester
sister
- dieSteuer
tax
- dasTier
animal
- dieTochter
daughter
- dasWasser
water
- dasWetter
weather
- dasWohnzimmer
living room
- dasZimmer
room
Common questions
- Which article do German nouns ending in -er take?
- Agent nouns ending in -er are often masculine. In our word lists, 27 of 49 of them take der.
- Are there exceptions to the -er rule?
- In our lists, yes: das Badezimmer, das Bier, die Butter, das Fenster, das Feuer, das Fieber, das Gewitter, die Großmutter, das Meer, die Mutter, die Nummer, das Papier, das Schlafzimmer, die Schulter, die Schwester, die Steuer, das Tier, die Tochter, das Wasser, das Wetter, das Wohnzimmer, das Zimmer. Learn these words together with their article.
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