Der Plural der Nomen

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📘 Grammatik · Unit 6 · 1/9

Der Plural der Nomen

3 parts7 examples3 common mistakes

Example

  1. die Frage – die Fragenquestion – questions

Rule

German has five plural types. In the plural the article is always die — no matter what gender the word had in the singular.

Practise

This topic’s own test: 10 sets, 10 questions in each.Grammatik-Test →

The five endings

Learn the plural together with the word and the article: die Wohnung, -en. Dictionaries write it exactly like this.

TypBeispiel SingularPlural
-eder Tischdie Tische
-e + Umlautder Stuhldie Stühle
-(e)ndie Wohnungdie Wohnungen
-er + Umlautdas Kind / das Buchdie Kinder / die Bücher
-s (Fremdwörter)das Autodie Autos
ohne Endungder Lehrerdie Lehrer

Reliable rules of thumb

Almost all feminine nouns form the plural with -n or -en. Words ending in -er, -el, -en often do not change at all.

  1. die Frage – die Fragenquestion – questions
  2. die Rechnung – die Rechnungenbill – bills
  3. der Schlüssel – die Schlüsselkey – keyskeine Endung
  4. das Zimmer – die Zimmerroom – roomskeine Endung

The dative plural gets an -n

In the dative plural an additional -n is added if the plural does not have one yet. This is one of the few rules without an exception.

  1. Ich spiele mit den Kindern.I am playing with the children.Kinder + n
  2. Er hilft den Nachbarn.He helps the neighbours.
  3. Mit den Autos ist es schneller.It is faster with the cars.-s-Plural bekommt kein -n

Common mistakes

die Terminen die Termine
der Termin forms its plural with -e, not with -en.
Ich spiele mit den Kinder. Ich spiele mit den Kindern.
In the dative plural an -n is added.
zwei Mann Autos zwei Autos
The -s plural mainly affects loanwords and needs no further ending.

Quick check · 3 questions

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