German plurals: Mastering the rules and exceptions

The plural is one of the first noun categories you will have to master in German. After all, some things just can’t stand alone. In English, we almost always form the plural by adding -s to the singular. It’s not quite so easy in German. 

There is no one universal rule you can follow to form all plural nouns in German. Instead, there are many different cases to consider. What’s the gender of the noun? Does it end with a suffix? Is it a single-syllable word? A foreign word? A name? 

All of these questions can help to determine the correct plural form. And yet, even if you follow all the available rules and hints, exceptions still apply. So, if you want to learn how to find the correct plural for any given German word, read on.

• The most common German plural rules
• German plurals by noun suffix
• Exceptions to the German plural rules

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The most common German plural rules

English plural nouns are relatively easy to spot, as most end with -s. German plural forms are more diverse, as the following examples help to illustrate:

• Handtaschen (several handbags)
• Schuhe (two shoes) 
• Rucksäcke (backpacks)
• Pullis (sweaters)
• Kinder (children)
• Fahrerinnen (female driver/drivers)

German nouns in the plural may take any of the following endings: 

• -(e)n
• -e
• -s
• -er
• no suffix at all

So, how do we decide which ending to choose? This is where the rules come in. For starters, let’s focus on two general rules: gender rules and suffix rules.

Gender rules

You can always tell the gender of a German noun by its definite article.

The majority of masculine (der) and neuter (das) nouns take the -e plural. Notice also that the definite article changes to die in the plural:

der Hund (the dog) – die Hunde (the dogs)

das Spiel (the game) – die Spiele (the games)

Nearly all feminine nouns take the -(e)n plural. Notice that the feminine and plural forms share the same definite article (die), so no change is needed:

die Frau (the woman) – die Frauen (the women)

die Katze (the cat) – die Katzen (the cats)

Suffix rules

If you’ve been studying German for a while, you probably know how to form adjectives by adding a suffix to a noun. But a suffix can also simply be the ending of a noun. (For example: das Kindchen.) 

Nouns that end with the same suffix nearly always take the same plural ending, regardless of the noun’s gender. 

Common suffixes and their plural endings are:

Suffix	Plural ending	Examples
–nis -ling  -ig -lich	-e	Geheimnis(s)e (secrets) Schwächlinge (wimps) Käfige (cages)
-tum	-er + umlaut	Alter-tum – Alter-tümer (ancient times)
-e	-(e)n	Katzen (cats)Frauen (women)
-chen -lein	no change	das Kindchen – die Kindchen (the little child – the little children) das Kindlein – die Kindlein (the little child – the little children)
-er (m/n) -el (m/n) -n	no change	der Fahrer – die Fahrer (the driver – the drivers) das Kabel – die Kabel (the cable – the cables)

German plurals by noun type

Let’s put all we’ve learned about German plural nouns into one chart.

Gender	Suffix	Plural ending	Example
feminine	many single-syllable nouns	-e (+ umlaut)	Gans (goose)  –  Gänse (geese)
	-e  -in  -ion  -ik  -heit  -keit -schaft  -tät -ung	-(e)n	Freundschaft (friendship) – Freundschaften (friendships)
	-a  -i  -o  -u  -y	-s	Mama (mom) – Mamas (moms)
masculine	-eur  -ich -ier -ig  -ling -ör	-e	Feigling (coward) – Feiglinge (cowards)
	most single-syllable nouns	-e +umlaut	Brand (fire) – Brände (fires)
	-e  -ent  -ant  -ist  -or	-(e)n	Student (student) – Studenten (students)
	-a  -i  -o -u  -y	-s	Kakadu (cockatoo) – Kakadus (cockatoos)
	-el  -en -er	no change	Rechen (rake) – Rechen (rakes)
neuter	Many single-syllable nouns	-(e)r (some with umlaut)	Kind (child) – Kinder (children)
	-a  -i  -o -u – y	-s	Kino (movie theater) – Kinos (movie theaters)
	-chen -lein	no change	Hündchen (puppy) – Hündchen (puppies)

Note:

1. Feminine nouns never form the plural with -(e)r.
2. Masculine words that form the plural with -(e)r hardly ever use an umlaut.
3. Many neuter nouns form the plural with -(e)r, most with an umlaut.
4. The plural ending -s is also used to form the plural of:
   1. words that end in an unstressed vowel (e.g. Kino)
   2. personal names: 1 Julia – 2 Julias 
   3. abbreviations: CDs
   4. English, Dutch or French loanwords (e.g. Restaurants)

Exceptions to the German plural rules

It’s not enough that there is no uniform rule for plural formation in German. To make things even more difficult for language learners, German also contains plenty of exceptions to the above rules. These include: 

• nouns that exist only in the plural, e.g. Eltern (parents)
• nouns that have different plural forms with different meanings, e.g. 

Bank (bank and bench) – Banken (banks) and Bänke (benches)

• words that do not form a plural in English, e.g. Immobilien (real estate)
• the plural of foreign loanwords, e.g. Partys

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Plural forms in German

The plural in German does not conform to a single rule. Which plural ending is used depends, in most cases, on the grammatical gender and the suffix of the noun. 

Sometimes, the root vowel changes to an umlaut in the plural ending. Other times, an extra -e or -s is added. And then there are the exceptions. 

Though it’s not the most satisfying answer, the best and safest way to learn German plurals is simple: memorize them!

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