Language/German/Grammar/Plurals
Hi German learners! 😊
In this lesson, we are going to learn how to form plurals in German.
Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Gender, Be Polite, Nouns & Talking About Obligations.
Forming Regular Plurals[edit | edit source]
Most nouns in German have a regular plural form. To form the plural of a noun, usually, you need to add -n or -en at the end of the word. Below are some examples:
German | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Baum (tree) | [baʊm] | trees |
Stadt (city) | [ʃtat] | cities |
Name (name) | [naːmə] | names |
Buch (book) | [bʊχ] | books |
As you can see, the plural form is not always predictable. That is why it is important to memorize the plural forms of nouns and review them regularly. A good way to practice is to use flashcards or quizzes.
Forming Plurals with Umlauts[edit | edit source]
Some German nouns form their plurals by changing the vowel in the stem and adding -e or -er. This process is called umlaut. Umlaut is represented by two dots above the vowel (ä, ö and ü).
Here are some examples of German nouns that form their plurals by umlaut:
German | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Mann (man) | [man] | men |
Kind (child) | [kɪnt] | children |
Haus (house) | [haʊs] | houses |
Fuß (foot) | [fuːs] | feet |
As you can see, the vowel in the stem changes, and -er or -e is added at the end of the word.
Plurals with -s and -es[edit | edit source]
There are also German nouns that form their plurals by adding -s or -es at the end of the word. This usually occurs with nouns that end in -s, -ss, -ß, -x, -z, or -tz.
Here are some examples:
German | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Bus (bus) | [bʊs] | buses |
Großvater (grandfather) | [ɡroːsˈfaːtɐ] | grandfathers |
Straß (street) | [ʃtʁaːs] | streets |
Box (box) | [bɔks] | boxes |
Notice that when the noun ends in -s, -ss, -ß, -x, -z, or -tz, you need to add -es to form the plural. Otherwise, you can simply add -s at the end of the word.
Irregular Plurals[edit | edit source]
There are some German nouns whose plural form does not follow any specific pattern. These words must be memorized separately. Here are some examples:
German | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Ball (ball) | [bal] | balls |
Buch (book) | [bʊχ] | books |
Löwe (lion) | [løːvə] | lions |
Kind (child) | [kɪnt] | children |
Mann (man) | [man] | men |
Frau (woman) | [fʁaʊ] | women |
Although it may seem difficult, it is important to memorize the plural forms of irregular nouns since they are used frequently in German.
Plurals of Compound Nouns[edit | edit source]
Compound nouns are nouns that are formed from two or more words. When forming the plural of a compound noun, usually only the last word of the compound takes the plural ending. Here are some examples:
German | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
der Apfelbaum (apple tree) | [deːɐ̯ ˈʔapfəlbaʊm] | apple trees |
das Kinoeintrittskarte (cinema ticket) | [das ˈkiːnoˌaɪntʁɪtskaʁtə] | cinema tickets |
die Hühnersuppe (chicken soup) | [diː ˈhʏnɐzʊpə] | chicken soups |
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
To better understand plurals in German, let's see a dialogue.
- Person 1: Ich habe einen Hund. (I have a dog.)
- Person 2: Oh, wie süß! Wie viele Hunde hast du? (Oh, how cute! How many dogs do you have?)
- Person 1: Ich habe zwei Hunde. (I have two dogs.)
Tips for Learning German Plurals[edit | edit source]
To help you learn German plurals, here are some tips:
- Practice regularly with flashcards or quizzes.
- Memorize the plural forms of irregular nouns.
- Listen to German songs or watch movies or TV shows in German.
- Find a German-speaking language partner on Polyglot Club to practice conversation and ask questions.
- Make a list of new words you learn and review them daily.
With practice and patience, you can improve your German grammar skills and form plurals correctly.
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Plural Nouns in German Grammar
- German Plurals: Your Essential Guide | German with Laura
- German Grammar: German Noun Plural Forms - Grammatik der ...
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Videos[edit | edit source]
Predict German Plurals | German with Laura - YouTube[edit | edit source]
THE 5 RULES of The German PLURAL - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Learn German | How to build Plural? | A1 - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Plural Nouns in German - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Indefinite Articles in German
- Imperative Tense
- Definite Articles in German
- Objects
- Nouns
- Past Participle in German
- How to Use Be
- Inflections of adjectives
- Past Tense
- Common Mistakes