At CEFR level A1, Numerus refers to whether a noun is singular (one item) or plural (more than one). German has five main Pluralformen (plural endings), and mastering them will allow you to talk about quantities, describe multiple objects, and understand everyday German texts. Because plural forms are often unpredictable, you should always learn each noun together with its plural form.
| Endung | Singular → Plural | Typisch für |
|---|---|---|
| -e / -¨e | der Tisch → die Tische · der Stuhl → die Stühle | viele maskuline & neutrale Nomen |
| -(e)n | die Frau → die Frauen · die Lampe → die Lampen | die meisten femininen Nomen |
| -er / -¨er | das Kind → die Kinder · das Buch → die Bücher | viele neutrale Nomen |
| – / -¨ | der Lehrer → die Lehrer · der Apfel → die Äpfel | Nomen auf -er, -el, -en; Diminutive (-chen, -lein) |
| -s | das Auto → die Autos · das Hobby → die Hobbys | Fremdwörter, Nomen auf Vokal (außer -e) |
German has five main Pluralformen: –e (die Tische), –(e)n (die Frauen), –er (die Kinder), – no ending (die Fenster), and –s (die Autos). Some patterns also add an Umlaut to the stem vowel, for example der Baum → die Bäume.
All German nouns use die as the definite article in the plural, regardless of their singular gender. Der Tisch becomes die Tische, das Kind becomes die Kinder, and die Frau becomes die Frauen.
Yes, although patterns exist, many nouns are irregular. The best strategy is to always learn a noun with its plural form from the start, for example das Buch / die Bücher. Dictionaries always list the plural form in the noun entry.
Most feminine nouns take the –(e)n ending in the plural: die Frau → die Frauen, die Lampe → die Lampen, die Schule → die Schulen. No Umlaut is ever added with this ending.