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<div class="pg_page_title">German Grammar - Plurals</div>
<div class="pg_page_title">German Grammar - Plurals</div>


Learning German grammar can be a daunting task, but understanding the basics of plurals is an essential part of mastering the language. Plurals are used to indicate more than one of something, and they are formed differently depending on the gender of the noun. In this lesson, we will explore the rules for forming plurals in German. __TOC__
Hi [https://polyglotclub.com/language/german German] learners! 😊<br>In this lesson, we are going to learn how to form plurals in German.  


== Masculine Nouns ==
__TOC__


Masculine nouns are the easiest to form plurals for, as they only require the addition of an -e at the end of the word. For example, der Mann (man) becomes die Männer (men).


=== Exceptions ===
<span link>Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: [[Language/Swiss-german/Grammar/Gender|Gender]], [[Language/German/Grammar/Be-Polite|Be Polite]], [[Language/German/Grammar/Nouns|Nouns]] & [[Language/German/Grammar/Talking-About-Obligations|Talking About Obligations]].</span>
== Forming Regular Plurals ==


There are some exceptions to this rule, however. Nouns that end in -er, -el, or -en do not take an -e in the plural form. For example, der Lehrer (teacher) becomes die Lehrer (teachers).  
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:


== Feminine Nouns ==
{| class="wikitable"
! German !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| Baum (tree) || [baʊm] || trees
|-
| Stadt (city) || [ʃtat] || cities
|-
| Name (name) || [naːmə] || names
|-
| Buch (book) || [bʊχ] || books
|}


Feminine nouns are slightly more complicated, as they require the addition of an -n or -en at the end of the word. For example, die Frau (woman) becomes die Frauen (women).  
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.


=== Exceptions ===
== Forming Plurals with Umlauts ==


As with masculine nouns, there are some exceptions to this rule. Nouns that end in -in, -heit, -keit, -schaft, and -ung do not take an -n or -en in the plural form. For example, die Freiheit (freedom) becomes die Freiheiten (freedoms).  
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).


== Neuter Nouns ==
Here are some examples of German nouns that form their plurals by umlaut:


Neuter nouns are the most complicated to form plurals for, as they require the addition of an -er at the end of the word. For example, das Kind (child) becomes die Kinder (children).
{| class="wikitable"
! German !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| Mann (man) || [man] || men
|-
| Kind (child) || [kɪnt] || children
|-
| Haus (house) || [haʊs] || houses
|-
| Fuß (foot) || [fuːs] || feet
|}


=== Exceptions ===
As you can see, the vowel in the stem changes, and -er or -e is added at the end of the word.


As with the other genders, there are some exceptions to this rule. Nouns that end in -chen, -lein, -ma, -ment, and -um do not take an -er in the plural form. For example, das Zimmer (room) becomes die Zimmer (rooms).
== Plurals with -s and -es ==


== Plural Agreement ==
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.


It is important to note that adjectives and verbs must agree with the nouns they modify or refer to in terms of gender and number. For example, if you are referring to a group of men, you would use the masculine plural form of the adjective or verb.
Here are some examples:


For example:
{| class="wikitable"
! German !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| Bus (bus) || [bʊs] || buses
|-
| Großvater (grandfather) || [ɡroːsˈfaːtɐ] || grandfathers
|-
| Straß (street) || [ʃtʁaːs] || streets
|-
| Box (box) || [bɔks] || boxes
|}


Die Männer sind groß. (The men are tall.)
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.


Die Frauen sind schön. (The women are beautiful.)
== Irregular Plurals ==


Die Kinder sind nett. (The children are nice.)
There are some German nouns whose plural form does not follow any specific pattern. These words must be memorized separately. Here are some examples:


By understanding the rules for forming plurals in German, you can become a more confident speaker of the language. If you want to practice your German skills, why not join the Polyglot Club community? [https://PolyglotClub.com Polyglot Club] is a great place to meet other language learners and practice your skills.
{| class="wikitable"
! 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
|}


<br><hr>If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.<br>Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
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 ==


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:
{| class="wikitable"
! 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 ==
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 ==
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 [https://polyglotclub.com 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.
<span class='maj'></span>
==Sources==
* [https://deutsch.lingolia.com/en/grammar/nouns-and-articles/plural Plural Nouns in German Grammar]
* [https://germanwithlaura.com/plurals/ German Plurals: Your Essential Guide | German with Laura]
* [https://www.vistawide.com/german/grammar/german_nouns02.htm German Grammar: German Noun Plural Forms - Grammatik der ...]
{{#seo:
|title=German Grammar - Plurals
|keywords=German plurals, German grammar, umlaut, regular plurals, compound nouns, irregular plurals
|description=In this lesson, you will learn how to form German plurals with cultural information, interesting facts using a simple and informal tone, analogies to illustrate complex concepts and emoji.
}}
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.<br>➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎


==Videos==
==Videos==
===Predict German Plurals | German with Laura - YouTube===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh9XZzrERTQ</youtube>


===THE 5 RULES of The German PLURAL - YouTube===
===THE 5 RULES of The German PLURAL - YouTube===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgZ--QmPAIw</youtube>
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgZ--QmPAIw</youtube>


===Predict German Plurals | German with Laura - YouTube===
===Learn German | How to build Plural? | A1 - YouTube===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh9XZzrERTQ</youtube>
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrtiiKzFakI</youtube>
 
===Plural Nouns in German - YouTube===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtN45plzNt0</youtube>
 
==Other Lessons==
* [[Language/German/Grammar/Indefinite-Articles-in-German|Indefinite Articles in German]]
* [[Language/German/Grammar/Imperative-Tense|Imperative Tense]]
* [[Language/German/Grammar/Definite-Articles-in-German|Definite Articles in German]]
* [[Language/German/Grammar/Objects|Objects]]
* [[Language/German/Grammar/Nouns|Nouns]]
* [[Language/German/Grammar/Past-Participle-in-German|Past Participle in German]]
* [[Language/German/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be|How to Use Be]]
* [[Language/German/Grammar/Inflections-of-adjectives|Inflections of adjectives]]
* [[Language/German/Grammar/Past-Tense|Past Tense]]
* [[Language/German/Grammar/Common-Mistakes|Common Mistakes]]


{{German-Page-Bottom}}
{{German-Page-Bottom}}
<span links></span>

Latest revision as of 21:03, 27 March 2023

German-Language-PolyglotClub.jpg
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]

➡ 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]


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