Questions & Answers about Die Banane ist gelb.
Why is there no ending on the adjective gelb? Shouldn't it be gelbe to match the feminine noun?
In German, adjectives only get endings (like -e) when they come directly before the noun they describe, as in die gelbe Banane (the yellow banana). When the adjective comes after a verb like ist (is), it stays in its basic dictionary form, so it is just gelb.
How can I easily remember that Banane is a feminine noun and uses die?
A great rule of thumb is that most German nouns ending in the letter -e are feminine. There are a few exceptions, but words like die Banane, die Birne (the pear), and die Tomate (the tomato) all follow this very handy pattern.
Since die Banane is feminine, does that mean all fruits are feminine in German?
Not all of them, though many common ones ending in -e certainly are. You will also encounter masculine fruits like der Apfel (the apple) or der Pfirsich (the peach). Because categories do not strictly determine gender, it is always best to learn the article along with the word!
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