Professions in Germany

In Germany, one can learn a profession not only through studying at a university or college but also through vocational training, called „Ausbildung“. This includes crafts and simple office jobs.

An apprenticeship usually lasts three years. It is done in a company, and during this time, the apprentice receives a salary from the company.

During this time, you learn everything you need to know for this profession.

„Ich mache eine Ausbildung zum Maler."
„Sie macht eine Ausbildung zur Sekretärin."
„Er macht eine Ausbildung zum Bankkaufmann."

Female job titles / Gendering

To change a general or masculine job title into a feminine one, you simply add „in“.

der Tänzer - die Tänzerin
der Sänger - die Sängerin
der Lehrer - die Lehrerin

Sometimes the job title ends with „mann“. Here, you replace „mann“ with „frau“:

der Kaufmann - die Kauffrau

You can also have Jan explain the grammar to you in a video lesson:

Plural: Formation

The plural is formed by adding „-n“ + „en“:

die Tänzerinnen
die Sängerinnen
die Lehrerinnen

Plural: Gendering

Traditionally, the feminine plural form is used only when the group consists solely of women. As soon as a man is included, the masculine form is used.

However, this can make some women feel unrepresented or excluded.

Recently, you often see the following forms:

Tänzer:innen / Tänzer*innen / Tänzer_innen

From a purely grammatical point of view, all these forms are incorrect. Understand them, but do not use them in exams. The grammatically correct gender-neutral language looks like this:

die Tänzer und Tänzerinnen

B7: Which profession fits? Assign:

der Schauspieler, der Arzt, die Journalistin, die Architektin, der Student, der Kellner

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Professions – Gendering

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