-ier
Nouns ending in -ier are der when they name a person and das when they name a thing.
German does not build these — the words arrived whole.The words came from French.
Examples
- der Offizier
- der Kavalier
- das Papier
- das Klavier
Plural
- der Offizier → die Offiziere
- der Bankier → die Bankiers
- das Papier → die Papiere
One exception
die Manier is the one word that came out feminine.
- die Manier
Same letters, different ending
- das Bier
- das Tier
- das Haustier
- die Feier
- der Stier
- die Gier