Langvie / German grammar / German plural nouns: endings and rules
German plural nouns: endings and rules.
In German, all nouns use the definite article die in the plural, regardless of their singular gender. You will use plural forms whenever you talk about more than one item or go shopping.
The plural article and ending -e
Every plural noun takes the definite article die. Many masculine and neuter nouns form their plural by adding -e, and some also add an umlaut to the stem vowel.
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| der Preis | die Preise | prices |
| das Brot | die Brote | breads |
| das Getränk | die Getränke | drinks |
- Hier sind die Getränke.Here are the drinks.
- Die Preise sind sehr gut.The prices are very good.
Plural endings -n and -en
Most feminine nouns add -n or -en in the plural. Nouns ending in -ung, -in, or -e almost always take this ending, and they rarely add an umlaut.
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| die Semmel | die Semmeln | bread rolls |
| die Rechnung | die Rechnungen | bills / receipts |
| die Tomate | die Tomaten | tomatoes |
- Die Semmeln sind da.The bread rolls are here.
- Hier sind die Rechnungen.Here are the bills.
Plural ending -er with umlaut
Many short neuter nouns and some masculine nouns add -er in the plural. If the stem vowel can take an umlaut, it changes to ä, ö, or ü.
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| das Ei | die Eier | eggs |
| das Bild | die Bilder | pictures |
| das Glas | die Gläser | glasses / jars |
- Die Gläser sind groß.The glasses are big.
- Das sind vier Eier.Those are four eggs.
Plurals with -s and no ending
Nouns ending in -el, -en, or -er often take no extra ending, but some add an umlaut. Foreign loanwords and words ending in a full vowel usually add -s.
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| der Apfel | die Äpfel | apples |
| das Mädchen | die Mädchen | girls |
| das Foto | die Fotos | photos |
- Die Äpfel sind gut.The apples are good.
- Hier sind zwei Fotos.Here are two photos.
Exceptions to remember
- Some food words like milk, meat, and fruit are uncountable and have no plural form. Die Milch und das Obst sind gut.
- Female job titles and person nouns ending in -in double the n and add -nen in the plural. Die Lehrerinnen arbeiten hier.
- Because plural forms vary greatly, always learn the plural ending together with the noun. Das ist ein Apfel und das sind Äpfel.
Practice it in the course
This rule is chapter 14 of 31 in the A1 German course in Langvie, after German possessive articles: mein, dein, Ihr and before German negation: nicht or kein. In the app the chapter goes on with 8 exercises and a short spoken conversation with an AI partner, which opens with Was kaufen Sie heute? Wie viele Äpfel brauchen Sie?
Choose the correct plural article. ___ Äpfel sind sehr gut. (Die / Der / Das)
Die. All plural nouns take the definite article die. The apples are very good.
Practice this rule in Langvie.
Chapter 14 of the A1 course, with exercises, cards and a conversation in German.