Change in Meaning

These nouns have different articles, which also correspond to different translations.

  • Teil
    • der: part
    • das: component (of a machine)
  • Verdienst
    • der: income
    • das: credit
  • Schild
    • der: shield
    • das: sign
  • Leiter
    • die: ladder
    • der: leader
  • Erbe (Erbin)
    • das: the inheritance
    • der: heir(ess)
  • Mark
    • die: mark, currency
    • das: marrow
  • Bauer(in)
    • der: (female) farmer
    • das: (bird) cage
  • Band
    • der: volume
    • die: band
    • das: ribbon
  • Foto
    • der: regional?
    • die: regional?
    • das: photograph
  • See (varies regionally?)
    • der: lake
    • die: sea
  • Tor
    • der: fool
    • das: gate
  • Kiefer
    • der: jaw(-bone)
    • die: (pine) tree
  • Steuer
    • die: tax
    • das: (steering) wheel
  • Plastik
    • die: sculpture
    • das: plastic

Differences in Plural

Some special cases with identical meaning, but different plural forms:

  • Bank, die:
    • die Bänke: benches
    • die Banken: banks
  • Strauß, der:
    • die Sträuße: bunches (of flowers)
    • die Strauße: ostrich, ostriches

Indifferent

These nouns appear with multiple different articles.

  • Jog(h)urt: der/die/das
  • Teller: der/das
  • Email: die/das
  • Spital: der/das
  • Cola: die/das
  • Laptop: der/das
  • Keks: der/das
  • Prospekt: der/das
  • Fakt: der/das
  • Comic: der/das
  • Gummi: der/das
  • Puff: der/das
  • Tsunami: der/die
  • Salsa: der/die

Sources