Compound Nouns

Basic rule

Two or more words join into one noun. The last word gives the gender and the plural.

Parts	Compound	Meaning
das Haus + die Tür	die Haustür	front door
der Kaffee + die Tasse	die Kaffeetasse	coffee cup
die Hand + der Schuh	der Handschuh	glove
das Kind + der Garten	der Kindergarten	kindergarten

Linking sounds (Fugenelemente)

Sometimes a letter links the parts: -s- (Arbeitszeit, Geburtstag), -n- (Sonnenschein), -e- (Hundehaus), -er- (Kinderzimmer). There is no perfect rule, so learn them with the word.

Reading long words

Split from the right: Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaft = Donau + Dampf + Schiff + Fahrt + Gesellschaft. Understanding the parts lets you guess new words.