Nouns ending in -ling: der
derMasculine (der)
Words ending in -ling are always masculine.
Not every word that ends in these letters follows the rule. See the look-alikes below.
How reliable is this rule?
In our rule set: Always (firm rule in our data).
In our word lists, nouns ending in -ling that take der: 6 of 7.
Examples ending in -ling
- derLehrling
- derSchmetterling
- derFrühling
- derLiebling
- derZwilling
- derFlüchtling
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.
- dasRecycling
recycling
Common questions
- Which article do German nouns ending in -ling take?
- Words ending in -ling are always masculine. In our word lists, 6 of 7 of them take der.
- Are there exceptions to the -ling rule?
- In our lists, yes: das Recycling. Learn these words together with their article.
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This rule is part of the gender-rules trainer on paid plans. The free plan covers 11 of 18 rules.
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