Learn German: Prägt der Zynismus unsere moderne Kultur? - Does cynicism shape our modern culture?

Nouns ending in the Greek loan suffix -ismus are always masculine, which is why it is der Zynismus. When they form a plural, the suffix changes to -ismen (e.g., die Zynismen), though abstract concepts like this are rarely pluralized.

Does the suffix -ur in Kultur also have a predictable pattern for its gender and plural?

Yes. Latin loanwords ending in -ur are almost always feminine (die Kultur, die Natur, die Struktur). They reliably form their plurals by adding -en to the end (for example, die Kulturen).

Why is there a der before Zynismus, even though the English translation just says 'cynicism' without 'the'?

In German, abstract nouns representing broad concepts, ideologies, or feelings typically require a definite article (der, die, or das). English usually leaves the article out in these cases.

I thought prägen meant 'to mint' or 'to stamp'. How does it translate to 'shape' here?

You are right! Prägen originally refers to minting coins or stamping a physical design. In a figurative sense, which is extremely common in higher-level German, it means 'to shape', 'to mold', or 'to leave a lasting mark on' something abstract, like a culture, an era, or a personality.