Introduction to Plural Forms in German
In German, forming plurals is more complex than in English. While English often adds '-s' or '-es' to form plurals, German has different rules and endings. Here's a breakdown of some common plural endings and examples.
Common Plural Endings
| Plural Ending |
Example (Singular) |
Example (Plural) |
| -e |
der Tisch
(the table)
|
die Tische
(the tables)
|
| -er |
das Kind
(the child)
|
die Kinder
(the children)
|
| -n/-en |
die Frau
(the woman)
|
die Frauen
(the women)
|
| -s |
das Auto
(the car)
|
die Autos
(the cars)
|
| -nen |
die Studentin
(the (female) student)
|
die Studentinnen
(the (female) students)
|
| No change |
der Lehrer
(the teacher)
|
die Lehrer
(the teachers)
|
Rules for Forming Plurals
| Rule |
Description |
| Masculine & Neuter Nouns |
Often take '-e' or '-er'; may change to an umlaut.
der Apfel -> die Äpfel |
| Feminine Nouns |
Typically take '-n' or '-en'; no umlaut change.
die Blume -> die Blumen |
| Nouns Ending in -er, -el, -en |
Often do not change but may have an umlaut change.
der Vogel -> die Vögel
|
| Foreign & Borrowed Words |
Usually add '-s'.
das Hotel -> die Hotels
|
Common Umlaut Changes
In many cases, an umlaut (two dots) is added to a vowel when forming plurals:
| Singular |
Plural |
der Mann
(the man)
|
die Männer
(the men)
|
die Stadt
(the city)
|
die Städte
(the cities)
|
das Buch
(the book)
|
die Bücher
(the books)
|