From a foreign learners perspective, it is easier to just learn the article together with the noun.
But there are rules for 2/3 of cases. https://sprachekulturkommunikation.com/genus-der-substantive...
You can classify by suffix.
* -ung, -heit, -keit -> feminin, e.g. die Schönheit
* -ling -> masculin, e.g. der Flüchtling
* -chen, -lein -> neutrum, e.g das Mädchen
You can classify by category. Every alcoholic drink is masculin, except for beer.
You can classify by phonetic spelling. That is probably the closest you have to Portugese.
> Every alcoholic drink is masculine
- das Piña Colada
- die Bowle
- die Weißschorl (ÖD: der weiße Spritzer)
That’s especially maddening because Spanish does have gender, and “piña colada” is feminine and even involves feminine gender agreement between the noun and the adjective.
> - das Piña Colada
Been living here for 35 years, and I'd have said "die Piña Colada".
> there are rules for 2/3 of cases
LOL.
And are they rules to remember which word falls in the 2/3rd ?
Nope, but it's not so different to irregular plural forms or verbs in english.
Afaik: At some point in the history of the language there would(?) have been rules for these nouns, but not today.