Work from top to bottom: from the most reliable signs down to heuristics.
| Gender | Article | Example | Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| kk. masculine | -inn | hesturinn | hann |
| kvk. feminine | -in | bókin | hún |
| hk. neuter | -ið | húsið | það |
Is there a definite article? -inn = masculine, -in = feminine, -ið = neuter.
Is the word a compound? Gender comes from the last component: bókasafn is neuter because safn is neuter.
Is there a reliable suffix? Check -ari, -ingur, -ing, -un, -lag and others.
Look at the ending. -ur/-ll/-nn is usually masculine; -a is usually feminine; a bare consonant is often feminine or neuter.
Check the exceptions. Especially words in -ur, kinship terms in -ir, and body parts in -a.
The nominative singular ending often gives a good clue.
| Ending | Examples | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| -ur | hestur, fiskur, dagur | the most typical masculine ending |
| -i | tími, penni, banki, afi | weak masculine nouns |
| -ll | bíll, stóll, jökull | often the result of a hidden -ur |
| -nn | steinn, himinn, morgunn | also usually a masculine type |
| -ir | læknir, hellir | except móðir, dóttir, systir |
| -andi | nemandi, eigandi | often names of people/agents |
| Ending | Examples | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| -a | kona, stelpa, vika, kirkja | the most typical feminine ending |
| -ing | bygging, kenning, hreyfing | almost always feminine |
| -un | verslun, menntun, áætlun | almost no exceptions |
| -d/-ð/-t | lengd, hæð, dýpt, ferð | measurements and abstractions |
| consonant | borg, mynd, rós, höfn | often needs checking with a dictionary or the article |
| Ending | Examples | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| consonant | barn, hús, borð, land, fjall | often monosyllabic; the plural frequently matches the singular |
| -i | epli, veski, kvæði, ríki | objects and abstractions are often neuter |
| -a | auga, eyra, hjarta, lunga | a closed group of body parts |
| Plural | Likely gender | Example |
|---|---|---|
| form does not change, or takes almost no ending | hk. neuter | hús -> hús, borð -> borð |
| -ir or -ar appears | kvk. feminine | mynd -> myndir, borg -> borgir |
These suffixes are more reliable than simple guesses from the ending.
| Suffix | Examples |
|---|---|
| -ari | kennari, bakari, leikari |
| -ingur | Íslendingur, kettlingur, unglingur |
| -dómur | sjúkdómur, vísdómur, dómur |
| -skapur | vinskapur, félagsskapur |
| -naður | fatnaður, kostnaður |
| -leiki/-leikur | möguleiki, kærleikur |
| Suffix | Examples |
|---|---|
| -ing | bygging, hreyfing, kenning |
| -un | menntun, verslun |
| -semi | hjálpsemi |
| -ni | keppni, beiðni, nákvæmni |
| -fræði | stærðfræði, líffræði |
| -ska | íslenska, heimska |
| -átta | barátta |
| Suffix | Examples |
|---|---|
| -erni | þjóðerni, faðerni |
| -elsi | fangelsi |
| -lag | ferðalag, félag |
| -indi | réttindi, tíðindi, leiðindi |
| -næmi | ofnæmi |
Meaning helps, but it does not replace the article and the dictionary.
maður - masculine, kona - feminine, faðir and bróðir - masculine, móðir, dóttir, systir - feminine.
In compound words, gender is determined by the last component.
Names of letters are usually neuter: a-ið, b-ið.
Many country names are neuter too: Ísland, Rússland, Þýskaland.
A short list that greatly improves your accuracy.
| Word | Meaning | Why it is misleading | Actual gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| brúður | bride | looks masculine because of -ur | kvk. |
| fjöður | feather | looks masculine because of -ur | kvk. |
| lifur | liver | looks masculine because of -ur | kvk. |
| vetur | winter | an unusual word in -ur | kk. |
| móðir, dóttir, systir | mother, daughter, sister | end in -ir | kvk. |
| auga, eyra, hjarta | eye, ear, heart | end in -a | hk. |
| skáld | poet | refers to a person | hk. |
| barn | child | animate meaning | hk. |
Determine the gender from the clues, then reveal the answers.
| # | Word | Clue |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | kennari | profession suffix |
| 2 | verslun | suffix -un |
| 3 | fjall | monosyllabic, ends in a consonant |
| 4 | stelpa | ending -a |
| 5 | hjarta | body part |
| 6 | læknir | type in -ir |
| 7 | systir | kinship term |
| 8 | ferðalag | last component -lag |
| 9 | Íslendingur | suffix -ingur |
| 10 | bygging | suffix -ing |
1 - masculine; 2 - feminine; 3 - neuter; 4 - feminine; 5 - neuter; 6 - masculine; 7 - feminine; 8 - neuter; 9 - masculine; 10 - feminine.