Plural of Nouns in German

German plurals can be tricky because there is no single rule. Different nouns form their plurals in different ways. It is important to learn the plural form together with each noun.

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1. General Notes

• The plural article is always die, regardless of gender.
• Umlaut (ä, ö, ü) changes occur in many plurals.
• Some nouns have no plural at all (uncountable nouns).

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2. Common Plural Endings

a) -e

Adds -e to the stem, often with an umlaut for short vowels. - der Hund → die Hunde
- der Tisch → die Tische

b) -er (often with umlaut)

Adds -er, frequently with an umlaut on the stem vowel. Common for many neuter nouns and some masculine ones. - das Buch → die Bücher
- das Kind → die Kinder
- der Mann → die Männer
- die Mutter → die Mütter

c) -n / -en

Very common for feminine nouns and many foreign/compound nouns. - die Frau → die Frauen
- die Blume → die Blumen
- der Student → die Studenten

d) -s

Mostly for loanwords, abbreviations, or words ending in vowels. - das Auto → die Autos
- die DVD → die DVDs
- das Café → die Cafés

e) No visible ending (zero plural) — sometimes with umlaut

Some nouns form the plural without adding a new letter; many of these change the vowel (umlaut). - der Lehrer → die Lehrer
- das Mädchen → die Mädchen
- der Apfel → die Äpfel ← this is the one you caught: umlaut only, no added -e or -er.

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3. Umlaut changes (short note)

Umlaut can occur with different plural types: - With -e or -er: der Fuß → die Füße (here there is an -e)
- With -er: das Buch → die Bücher
- With no ending: der Apfel → die Äpfel

Because umlaut appears in several patterns, it’s helpful to learn each noun’s plural form, not just rely on rules.

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4. Irregular Plurals

Some nouns follow unique patterns and must be memorized: - der Mann → die Männer
- das Museum → die Museen
- das Herz → die Herzen

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5. Nouns with No Plural

Abstract or mass nouns usually don’t have plural. - der Hunger
- das Gold
- die Musik

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6. Quick Reference Table

Ending	Example (Sg.)	Example (Pl.)	Notes
-e	der Hund	die Hunde	Common; short vowels often take umlaut
-er	das Buch	die Bücher	Often neuter; umlaut common
-n / -en	die Blume	die Blumen	Very common for feminine nouns
-s	das Auto	die Autos	Loanwords, abbreviations, vowels
zero	der Lehrer	die Lehrer	No added ending; sometimes umlauted

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