German Plural Patterns
German plurals do not follow a single rule. There are six main patterns:
| Pattern | How it works | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| -(e) | add -e (sometimes + umlaut) | der Tisch | die Tische |
| -e + umlaut | add -e and umlaut | der Stuhl | die Stühle |
| -er | add -er (often + umlaut) | das Kind | die Kinder |
| -(e)n | add -en or -n | die Frau | die Frauen |
| -s | add -s (loanwords) | das Auto | die Autos |
| no change | same as singular | der Lehrer | die Lehrer |
Common examples by pattern
-e (common for masculine nouns)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| der Hund (dog) | die Hunde |
| der Brief (letter) | die Briefe |
| der Monat (month) | die Monate |
-er + umlaut (common for short neuter nouns)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| das Kind (child) | die Kinder |
| das Buch (book) | die Bücher |
| das Haus (house) | die Häuser |
-(e)n (common for feminine nouns)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| die Schule (school) | die Schulen |
| die Frau (woman) | die Frauen |
| die Blume (flower) | die Blumen |
No change (many -er nouns)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| der Lehrer (teacher) | die Lehrer |
| der Schüler (pupil) | die Schüler |
| das Zimmer (room) | die Zimmer |
-s (foreign words, abbreviations)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| das Auto (car) | die Autos |
| das Hotel | die Hotels |
| das Foto | die Fotos |
The plural article is always die
Regardless of gender, the definite article in the plural is always die:
- der Hund → die Hunde
- die Frau → die Frauen
- das Kind → die Kinder
Real world: shopping lists and menus
A German supermarket shopping list uses plurals naturally: „zwei Äpfel, drei Kartoffeln, vier Eier, zwei Flaschen Wasser". Menus show plural forms too: „Bratwürste €3,50", „Pommes frites €2,00" — all standard plural patterns in everyday use.
Real world: school timetables
A German Stundenplan (timetable) is full of plural nouns: „Fächer: Mathematik, Deutsch, Biologie". The word Fächer (subjects, pl. of das Fach) uses the -er + umlaut pattern. You also see: „Stunden pro Woche" (lessons per week — pl. of die Stunde, -(e)n pattern).
Real world: public transport signs
Train and bus signs use plural forms: „Züge nach Berlin" (trains to Berlin — pl. of der Zug, -e + umlaut), „Busse alle 10 Minuten" (buses every 10 minutes — pl. of der Bus, -se). Spotting these on platforms helps you practise plurals in context.
German dictionaries list plural forms after each noun entry, e.g. der Zug, -e (add -e) or das Buch, -er (add -er with umlaut). When you learn a noun, note its plural form straight away — it will save you a lot of guessing later!
Practice Problems
Plural of: das Buch (book) — pattern: -er + umlaut
Show answer
Plural of: die Schule (school) — pattern: -(e)n
Show answer
Plural of: der Lehrer (teacher) — pattern: no change
Show answer
Plural of: das Auto (car) — pattern: -s
Show answer
Plural of: der Hund (dog) — pattern: -e