On my quest to make remembering genders easier and a little simpler, I have found some tips on how to determine the gender of a word.
Der
Words that are always masculine:
1. Days, months, and seasons: The only exception to this is das Frühjahr which is another word for spring.
2. Points of the compass, map locations and winds: Nordwest(en) (northwest), Süd(en) (south), der Föhn (warm wind out of the Alps), der Scirocco (sirocco, a hot desert wind).
3. Precipitation: Regen, Schnee, Nebel (rain, snow, fog/mist)
4. Names of cars and trains: der VW, der ICE, der Mercedes (Motorbikes and planes of any kind are female though)
5. Words ending in -ismus: Journalismus, Kommunismus, Synchronismus (equal -ism words in English)
6. Words ending in -ner: Rentner, Schaffner, Zentner, Zöllner (pensioner, [train] conductor, hundred-weight, customs collector).
7. The basic “atmospheric” elements that end in -stoff: der Sauerstoff (oxygen), der Stickstoff (nitrogen), der Wasserstoff (hydrogen), plus carbon (der Kohlenstoff). The only other elements (out of 112) that are masculine are der Phosphor and der Schwefel (sulphur). All the other elements are neutral in gender.
Usually Masculine:
1. Agents (people who do something), most occupations and nationalities: der Architekt, der Arzt, der Deutsche, der Fahrer, der Verkäufer, der Student, der Täter (architect, physician, German [person], driver, salesman, student, perpetrator).
2. Nouns ending in -er, when referring to people (aside from die Jungfer, die Mutter, die Schwester, die Tochter, das Fenster)
3. Names of alcoholic drinks: der Wein, der Wodka (but das Bier)
4. Names of mountains and lakes: der Berg, der See (but Germany’s highest peak, die Zugspitze follows the rule for the feminine ending -e, and die See is the sea).
5. Most rivers outside of Europe: der Amazonas, der Kongo, der Mississippi
6. Most nouns ending in -ich, -ling, -ist: Rettich, Sittich, Schädling, Frühling, Pazifist (radish, parakeet, pest/parasite, spring, pacifist)
Die
Words that are always feminine:
1. Nouns ending in the following suffixes: -heit, -keit, -tät, -ung, -schaft – Examples: die Freiheit, Schnelligkeit, Universität, Zeitung, Freundschaft (freedom, quickness, university, newspaper, friendship). These suffixes usually have a corresponding English suffix, such as -ness (-heit, -keit), -ty (-tät), -ship (-schaft).
2. Nouns ending in -ie: Drogerie, Geographie, Komödie, Industrie, Ironie (often equal to words ending in -y in English)
3. Names of aircraft, ships and motorbikes: die Boeing 747, die Titanic, die BMW (motorbike only; the car is der BMW). The die comes from die Maschine, which can mean plane, motorbike and engine.
4. Nouns ending in -ik: die Grammatik, Grafik, Klinik, Musik, Panik, Physik but this also has some exceptions
5. Borrowed (foreign) nouns ending in: -ade, -age, -anz, -enz, -ette, -ine, -ion, -tur: Parade, Blamage (shame), Bilanz, Distanz, Frequenz, Serviette (napkin), Limonade, Nation, Konjunktur (economic trend). A rare -ade exception: der Nomade.
6. Cardinal numbers: eine Eins, eine Drei
Usually feminine:
1. Nouns ending in -in that pertain to female people, occupations, nationalities: Amerikanerin, Studentin (female American, student), but der Harlekin and also many non-people words: das Benzin, der Urin (gasoline/petrol, urine).
2. Most nouns ending in -e: Ecke, Ente, Grenze, Pistole, Seuche (corner, duck, border, pistol, epidemic), except der Deutsche, das Ensemble, der Friede, der Junge ([the] German, ensemble, peace, boy)
3. Nouns ending in -ei: Partei, Schweinerei (party [political], dirty trick/mess), but das Ei, der Papagei (egg, parrot).
4. Most types of flowers and trees: Birke, Chrysantheme, Eiche, Rose (birch, chrysanthemum, oak, rose), but der Ahorn, (maple), das Gänseblümchen (daisy), and the word for tree is der Baum
5. Borrowed (foreign) nouns ending in -isse, -itis, -ive: Hornisse, Initiative (hornet, initiative)
Das
Words that are always neutral:
1. Nouns ending in -chen or -lein: Fräulein, Häuschen, Kaninchen, Mädchen (unmarried woman, cottage, rabbit, girl/maiden)
2. Infinitives used as nouns (gerunds): das Essen, das Schreiben (eating/food, writing)
3. Almost all of the 112 known chemical elements (das Aluminium, Blei, Kupfer, Uran, Zink, Zinn, Zirkonium, usw.) – except for six that are masculine.
4. Names of hotels, cafés and theaters
5. Names of colors used as nouns: das Blau, das Rot (blue, red)
Usually neutral:
1. Geographic place names (towns, countries, continents): das Berlin, Deutschland, Brasilien, Afrika (but learn non-das countries, such as: der Irak, der Jemen, die Schweiz, die Türkei, die USA [plur.])
2. Young animals and people: das Baby, das Küken (chick); but der Junge (boy).
3. Most metals: Aluminium, Blei, Kupfer, Messing, Zinn (aluminium, lead, copper, brass, tin/pewter; but die Bronze, der Stahl – bronze, steel)
4. Nouns ending in -o : das Auto, Büro, Kasino, Konto (account), Radio, Veto, Video
5. Fractions: das/ein Viertel (¼), das/ein Drittel (but die Hälfte, half)
6. Most nouns starting with Ge-: Genick, Gerät, Geschirr, Geschlecht, Gesetz, Gespräch (back of the neck, device, dishes, sex/gender, law, conversation), but there are many exceptions, such as der Gebrauch, der Gedanke, die Gefahr, der Gefallen, der Genuss, der Geschmack, der Gewinn, die Gebühr, die Geburt, die Geduld, die Gemeinde, die Geschichte, and others)
7. Most borrowed (foreign) nouns ending in -ment: Ressentiment, Supplement (but der Zement, der/das Moment [2 diff. meanings])
8. Most nouns ending in -nis: Versäumnis (neglect; but die Erlaubnis, die Erkenntnis, die Finsternis)
9. Most nouns ending in -tum or -um: Christentum, Königtum (Christianity, kingship; but der Irrtum, der Reichtum – error, wealth)
Well, that should help xD
Tomate's German Learning Journal 