Fòram na Gàidhlig

Rach gu duilleag: Air ais 1 2

Clàr-innse

According to Form - Masculine

A noun is masculine when it ends in a certain suffix:

diminutive noun, -an - the a in -an is pronounced as [a]
- am balachan
abstract noun, -as, -ad
- an dànadas, an giorrad
noun of function, occupation or role, -ach, -iche, -air, -amh, -adair, -aire, -ear
- an clèireach, an stiùiriche, an dorsair, am britheamh, am fuaradair, an teachdaire, an t-àrdaichear
an adjective used as a noun
- an dall
verbal nouns, -adh
- bualadh

According to Form - Feminine

A noun is feminine when it ends in a certain suffix:

diminutive noun, -ag - the a in -ag is pronounced as [a]
- an nìghneag
abstract noun, -achd
- a' bheannachd
noises ending in -ich (there are exceptions)
- bha e a' bragadaich 's a' snagadaich
- but: 'glaodhaich' is masculine
abstract noun identical to the comparative form of an adjective
- an doille
verbal nouns, -airt
- tachairt

According to Meaning - Masuline

There are exceptions to these rules. Use the rules according to form first.

the elements
- an teine, an t-uisge
the seasons
- an geamhradh
days of the week
- Dimàirt
colours
- an gorm
grains
- an t-eòrna
vegetables
- an curran
drinks
- an t-uisge-beatha
wood
- an giuthas

According to Meaning - Feminine

There are exceptions to these rules. Use the rules according to form first.

countries
- an Fhraing
musical instruments
- a' chlàrsach
celestial bodies
- a' ghrian
illnesses
- a' bhreac
- but: 'an cnatan' is masculine

According to Sex

More often than not, the gender of a noun will correspond to the male/female sex of a human or an animal:

masculine:
- an t-athair
- am mac
- am fear
- am bodach
- an tarbh
feminine:
- a' mhàthair
- an nighean
- an tè
- a' chailleach
- a' bhò
but: 'am boireannach' is masculine

Broad or slender

You can look at the last consonant of the word. This rule of thumb works for about 80% of all nouns:

broad nouns are masculine
slender nouns are feminine

Mix-up

Sometimes, the gender of a word is not clear.

The same word can be masculine or feminine according to dialect
- an dàimh (masculine or feminine), an dealbh (masculine or feminine)
The same word can have a different gender according to case (from the old neutral case)
- am muir (nominative/common case, masculine), na mara (genitive/possessive case, feminine)

Memorising

How do you remember the case for a certain noun? I don't find 'an doras' (m) or 'an deise' (f) useful at all. I prefer using the genitive case with the article, and I'll add a verbal noun to it:

doras, fosgladh an dorais - an = masculine
deise, cruth na deise - na = feminine

This way, I even get 3 for 1:

the gender of the word
the genitive form of the word
a useful expression

Sources

Byrne, Michel (2004): Gràmar na Gàidhlig, 2nd edition, Stòrlann-acair, Cearsiadar.
Calder, George (1923): A Gaelic Grammar, Gairm, Glasgow.
Cox, Richard (2010): Class notes for Gàidhlig 2 at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.
Klevenhaus, Michael (2010): Lehrbuch der Schottisch-Gälischen Sprache, Buske, Hamburg.

A Bit of Fun

Geama "Fireann no Boireann".