German

German Language Highlight

German Nouns and Their Gender: A Curious Trio

In German, all nouns have a grammatical gender—masculine, feminine, or neuter.
For example, Mann (“man” or “husband”) is masculine, and Frau (“woman” or “wife”) is, unsurprisingly, feminine.
But here’s the twist: gender in German doesn’t always follow logic. Mädchen (“girl”) is actually a neuter noun, not feminine.

There are more surprises:
The moon (der Mond) is masculine, the sun (die Sonne) is feminine, and a house (das Haus) is neuter. A desk is masculine (der Tisch), while a wall is feminine (die Wand).

Every noun in German comes with a specific definite article:

• der for masculine nouns
• die for feminine nouns
• das for neuter nouns

Because these articles are closely tied to each noun, German learners—including native-speaking children—often memorize them as pairs. And yes, even German kids get corrected by their parents when they get it wrong!

German Dialects

The Dialects of German: A Sound-Based Divide

German dialects are broadly classified into two main groups:
Northern dialects (Low German or Niederdeutsch) and Central and Southern dialects (High German or Hochdeutsch).

The primary distinction between these groups lies in a historical phonological shift known as the Second Sound Shift (Zweite Lautverschiebung).
This consonant shift, which began around the 6th century, profoundly shaped the pronunciation of Central and Southern dialects, while the Northern dialects remained largely unaffected. As a result, significant differences in consonant sounds emerged, forming the basis of the dialectal divide.

The High German dialects (Central and Southern) are further subdivided into Mitteldeutsch (Central German) and Oberdeutsch (Upper/Southern German).

While Standard German (Hochdeutsch)—based on a variety of Central dialects—is used in media, education, and official communication, regional dialects remain vibrant and commonly spoken in everyday life across the German-speaking world.

German in the Japanese Context

German Influence on the Japanese Language

In Japan, the introduction of Western medicine was heavily influenced by German educators, leading to the widespread adoption of German medical terminology. At one time, all patient records (karte) were written in German—the term itself derives from the German word Karte, which corresponds to the English card. Other medical terms of German origin include virus, gauze, capsule, vaccine, cast (Gips), neurosis, and hysteria.

Beyond medicine, German has also left its mark on Japanese vocabulary across various fields. In science, words like energy (Energie) and allergy (Allergie) stem from German. In classical music, conducting terms such as Takt (tempo) and note names like A, B, C are pronounced Ah, Beh, Tseh, following the German system.

Even outdoor and sports terminology shows this influence:
In mountaineering and hiking—pickel (ice axe), rucksack, seil (rope), schlafsack (sleeping bag);
In skiing—spur (trail), gelände (slope), and stock (pole).

German-origin words are woven into everyday Japanese in ways that many may not even realize, reflecting a unique linguistic and cultural connection.