PLURALPLURALS

Introduction

The plural in German can take the endings n/en, e, r/er, s, or no ending at all.

die Geldscheine bills

die Münzen  coins

das Geld (no plural) money

Here we have made a summary of which plural endings tend to go with which word endings. However, there are many exceptions.

Plural Ending n/en

• masculine nouns with the endings e, ent, and, ant, ist, or

Example:

der Student – die Studenten  the student

• feminine nouns with the endings e, in, ion, ik, heit, keit, schaft, tät, ung

Example:

die Nation – die Nationen

To note: in the case of feminine nouns that end in in, the “n” is doubled

Example:

die Lehrerin – die Lehrerinnen the teacher

• With foreign words that end in ma, um, us, we usually replace the noun ending in the plural with en.

Example:

das Thema – die Themen   the subject

Plural Ending e

• masculine nouns with the endings eur, ich, ier, ig, ling, ör

Example:

der Friseur – die Friseure  the hairdresser

• many single-syllable feminine nouns (plural takes an umlaut)

Example:

die Hand – die Hände

Plural Ending r/er

• many single-syllable neuter nouns (plural often takes an umlaut)

Example:

das Wort – die Wörter

• To note: feminine nouns never form the plural with r/er.

Plural Ending s

• masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns with the endings a, i, o, u, y

Example:

der Opa – die Opas grandadies

das Auto – die Autos

die Mutti – die Muttis mummies

das Hobby – die Hobbys

• family names

Example:

die Lehmanns (= the Lehmann family)

No Plural Ending

• masculine nouns with the endings el, en, er

Example:

der Löffel – die Löffel   the spoon

• neuter nouns with the endings chen, lein

Example:

das Mädchen – die Mädchen  the girl when you don't speak about your daughter which is translated in Tochter

Singular or Plural

• Most nouns can be used in the singular and the plural.

Example:

der Geldschein – die Geldscheine   bills

die Münze – die Münzen

• Some nouns tend to be used only in the singular.

Example:

das Geld, der Hunger, die Milch  money   hunger  milk

There is a plural form, “die Gelder”, but this has a different meaning.

• Some nouns are used only in the plural.

Example:

die Eltern, die Leute, die Ferien parents people holidays