German nouns
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In general, nouns are describing creatures, plants, terms and similar things. Hauptwort or Substantiv are other words, for describing a noun in the German language. Nouns come along with their articles, definite and indefinite articles, in most of the time. Additionally, nouns belong to the declinable part of speech.
Keep in mind: German nouns are always written with a capital letter.
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There are three different genders in the German grammar. A noun can either be masculine (der Mann), feminine (die Frau) or neuter (das Kind). There are some hints, how to guess the gender of nouns.
Here you can find some examples for masculine, feminine and neuter nouns.
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
---|---|---|---|
Articles | der / ein | die / eine | das / ein |
Examples |
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What is the plural of Auge (eye) ? Augen or Auges ? There are several rules in order to guide you on plural froms of German nouns.
German nouns in the plural are preceded by the definite article die, or by no article because in German there is no indefinite article in plural.
There are five types of transformation from the singular to the plural. Have a look into this table below.
Transformation in Plural | Example |
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Nouns in German are declined according to their case. Most of the nouns remain unchanged and only the article and the adjective to designate the case and gender.
The four cases in German are:
This table is a summary of the declension of the four cases in German according to the number and gender with the definite and indefinite article.
Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nominative | der/ein Hund | die/eine Katze | das/ein Pferd | die Mäuse |
Genitive | des/eines Hundes | der/einer Katze | des/eines Pferdes | der Mäuse |
Dative | dem/einem Hund | der/einer Katze | dem/einem Pferd | den Mäusen |
Accusative | den/einen Hund | die/eine Katze | das/ein Pferd | die Mäuse |
Translation:
Remember: there is no indefinite article in Germal plural.
Weak and mixed masculine nouns follow a special declension: the N-declension.
They always take the suffix -n/-en in all cases, except in the nominative singular. The mixed masculine names always take the suffix -n/-en in all cases(except nominative singular), but in addition the suffix -s in genitive singular is added.
Masculine nouns with the following endings are following the N-declension
Here you can find some examples in sentences.
Noun in nominative | Example |
---|---|
der Junge - boy | Ich frage den Jungen, ob er Hunger hat. - I ask the boy, if he is hungry. |
der Stundent - student | Das Buch des Studenten liegt auf dem Boden. - The book of the student is on the floor. |
der Tourist - tourist | Wir geben dem Touristen die Information. - Wir geben dem Touristen die Information. |
What does Frau have to do with Mädchen? What is the difference between Haus and Häuslein?
A diminutive is a transformed noun, which expresses a smaller, cuter or younger of the noun. The nouns are transformed by the suffixes -lein or -chen. The diminutive is an informal way of expression. Learn something about the Diminutive in German on our Grammar pages.
Here you can find some examples.
What happens when two nouns are compounded? Is the gender changing?
It's quite common in German to form nouns by joining several already existing words (nouns, adjectives, verbs, prepositions). Find out more about it by looking at our Grammar pages for Compound nouns in German.
Examples:
Sometimes the compound nouns are formed by connecting them with -s or -es or with the plural of the first noun.
Here you can see some examples:
Keep in mind: The last word always determines the gender, the number and the case of the compound noun. It is also the only one to decline depending on the case.
It is possible to form nouns from verbs or adjectives. Just add a capital letter and an article. These type of nouns are called substantivized adjectives and verbs.
Substantivized adjectives are nouns formed from adjectives, without their prefix or suffix. All German adjectives can be used as nouns.
Here are some examples:
The substantivized infinitive is formed from the infinitive of a verb. They take a capital letter. The substantivized infinitive describes an action, the act of doing something.
Substantivized infinitves are always neuter.
Here are some examples:
You can form a noun out of the present or past participle of a verb.
Here are some examples:
This lesson is closely related to the lesson of German articles.
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Remember: The form can vary in case and number!
Das ist das Werkzeug des (Vater) - This is the tool of the father.
Im Zoo haben sie viele (Löwe) - They have many lions in the zoo.
Ich mag den Geschmack dieses (Kaffee) - I like the taste of this coffee.
Habt ihr genug (Stuhl) für die Party heute? - Do you have enough chairs for the party today?
Die Schüler haben viele (Hausaufgabe) zu machen - The students have to do a lot of homework.
Ich helfe (der Bruder) - I help the brother.
Ich mag (der Koch) - I like the cook.
Hier gibt es nicht genug (Baum) - There are not enough trees here.
Remember: there is no indefinite article in plural in German. Good luck!
1.) Sie hält sich immer an alle . (Regel - rule)
(She always follows all the rules.)
2.) Er hat keine . (Geheimnis - secret)
(He doesn't have any secrets.)
3.) Über welche schreibst du gerade? (Thema- topics)
(About which topics are you writing?)
4.) Die mögen ihren Lehrer. (Schüler- students)
(The students like their teacher.)
5.) Ich esse gerne . (Kartoffel - potato)
(I like to eat potatoes.)
6.) Er kauft sich neue . (Schuh - shoe)
(He buys himself a new pair of shoes.)
7.) Es gab einige auf ihrem Weg. (Hindernis - obstacles)
(There were several obstacles in her way.)
8.) Hier gibt es viele schöne . (Haus - house)
(Here are a lot of beautiful houses.)
9.) Auf der Straße fahren viele (Auto - car)
(Many cars drive on the street.)
10.) Beim Schwimmen trainiert man viele (Muskel - muscles)
(While swimming you train many muscles.)
Fill in the missing article
1.) Tisch ist neu.
(The table is new.)
2.) Fahrrad ist alt.
(The bike is old.)
3.) Sonne scheint.
(The sun is shining.)
4.) Er holt sich Kaffee.
(He's getting a coffee.)
5.) Sie zieht in Haus.
(She's moving in a house.)
6.) Das Kind streichelt Ziege.
(The kid is petting a goat.)
7.) Hund bellt.
(The dog barks.)
8.) Er liest Buch.
(He's reading a book.)
9.) Sommer wird sehr heiß.
(The summer will be very hot.)
10.) Er verlässt Zimmer nicht.
(He doesn't leave the room.)
Remember: The form can vary in case and number!
Das ist das Werkzeug des (Vater) - This is the tool of the father.
Im Zoo haben sie viele (Löwe) - They have many lions in the zoo.
Ich mag den Geschmack dieses (Kaffee) - I like the taste of this coffee.
Habt ihr genug (Stuhl) für die Party heute? - Do you have enough chairs for the party today?
Die Schüler haben viele (Hausaufgabe) zu machen - The students have to do a lot of homework.
Ich helfe (der Bruder) - I help the brother.
Ich mag (der Koch) - I like the cook.
Hier gibt es nicht genug (Baum) - There are not enough trees here.
Remember: there is no indefinite article in plural in German. Good luck!
1.) Sie hält sich immer an alle . (Regel - rule)
(She always follows all the rules.)
2.) Er hat keine . (Geheimnis - secret)
(He doesn't have any secrets.)
3.) Über welche schreibst du gerade? (Thema- topics)
(About which topics are you writing?)
4.) Die mögen ihren Lehrer. (Schüler- students)
(The students like their teacher.)
5.) Ich esse gerne . (Kartoffel - potato)
(I like to eat potatoes.)
6.) Er kauft sich neue . (Schuh - shoe)
(He buys himself a new pair of shoes.)
7.) Es gab einige auf ihrem Weg. (Hindernis - obstacles)
(There were several obstacles in her way.)
8.) Hier gibt es viele schöne . (Haus - house)
(Here are a lot of beautiful houses.)
9.) Auf der Straße fahren viele (Auto - car)
(Many cars drive on the street.)
10.) Beim Schwimmen trainiert man viele (Muskel - muscles)
(While swimming you train many muscles.)
Fill in the missing article
1.) Tisch ist neu.
(The table is new.)
2.) Fahrrad ist alt.
(The bike is old.)
3.) Sonne scheint.
(The sun is shining.)
4.) Er holt sich Kaffee.
(He's getting a coffee.)
5.) Sie zieht in Haus.
(She's moving in a house.)
6.) Das Kind streichelt Ziege.
(The kid is petting a goat.)
7.) Hund bellt.
(The dog barks.)
8.) Er liest Buch.
(He's reading a book.)
9.) Sommer wird sehr heiß.
(The summer will be very hot.)
10.) Er verlässt Zimmer nicht.
(He doesn't leave the room.)
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Hallo :) I'm a German language teacher with a Bachelor and Master degree in German and with many years of teaching experience.
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greetings Veronika
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Hello =)
My name is Karolin and since the beginning of 2017, while I was still living in Chile, I've been giving online classes. I really enjoy my work and it gives me the privilage to get to know people from all around the world, which is amazing.
Both in English and in German, I teach classes for beginners and advanced students. I speak Spanish fluently, but as I lived in Chile for around 5 years, both my pronounciation and my choice of words are influenced by that. I learned and teach the european Spanish but only for beginners (A1/A2). But if you don't mind the chilenean influence, I do teach to a higher level as well.
If you'd like to get to know me and my teaching methods, just contact me and we will do a free trial lesson (please do NOT by a lesson before the trial lesson, not every teacher is good for every student).
See you soon!
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Hello =)
My name is Karolin and since the beginning of 2017, while I was still living in Chile, I've been giving online classes. I really enjoy my work and it gives me the privilage to get to know people from all around the world, which is amazing.
Both in English and in German, I teach classes for beginners and advanced students. I speak Spanish fluently, but as I lived in Chile for around 5 years, both my pronounciation and my choice of words are influenced by that. I learned and teach the european Spanish but only for beginners (A1/A2). But if you don't mind the chilenean influence, I do teach to a higher level as well.
If you'd like to get to know me and my teaching methods, just contact me and we will do a free trial lesson (please do NOT by a lesson before the trial lesson, not every teacher is good for every student).
See you soon!
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Very well prepared, excellent explanation of all of the key grammatical points and very nice and supportive manner made it a pleasure to learn through this lesson.
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My name is Tim Grundl and I have been teaching languages professionally for over 15 years. By using modern methods and a personal approach, the lessons become sustainable and motivating. The fun of learning should not be neglected, because learning is only possible in a relaxed atmosphere.
Book a free trial lesson and form your own opinion.
Whatever your goals are, conversation training, writing letters or emails, etc., together we will create a goal-oriented, individual plan to achieve these goals as stress-free as possible.
I would be happy to work with you.
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My husband has really enjoyed the lessons he's had with Tim. The material is rigorous and in-depth. Even after previous lessons, Tim has been able to push my husband and keep his confidence up.
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Micaela is an excellent teacher, prepared and above all organized and awake. My lerning experience has been more than positive!
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For me, learning German was a nightmare and I was certain that I will never learn the language. Sara sure did prove me wrong. With her, learning German became fun. I always wait with excitement for our next session. She drastically imporved my skills in a few months and most importantly, I made a good friend along the way. Ich kann mit Sicherheit sagen, dass Sara die Beste ist
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Hello =)
My name is Karolin and since the beginning of 2017, while I was still living in Chile, I've been giving online classes. I really enjoy my work and it gives me the privilage to get to know people from all around the world, which is amazing.
Both in English and in German, I teach classes for beginners and advanced students. I speak Spanish fluently, but as I lived in Chile for around 5 years, both my pronounciation and my choice of words are influenced by that. I learned and teach the european Spanish but only for beginners (A1/A2). But if you don't mind the chilenean influence, I do teach to a higher level as well.
If you'd like to get to know me and my teaching methods, just contact me and we will do a free trial lesson (please do NOT by a lesson before the trial lesson, not every teacher is good for every student).
See you soon!
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Karolin is very competent, she has a very good way of teaching and simplifying complicated rules, she's also organized and punctual. Highly recommended for whoever wants to learn German!
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1 Gender of German nouns (substantives) - der, die, das | Learn how to choose the gender of a noun in German. |
2 Plural of German nouns | Guidelines for the German plural. |
3 German declension (N-declension) | Discover the German declension of nouns and the N-declension |
4 Diminutive (-lein, -chen) in German | Learn about the German diminutives. |
5 Compound nouns in German | Discover the compound nouns in German |
6 Adjectives and verbs as nouns in German | Discover the substantivized adjectives and verbs in German |