In this lesson, we will discuss N-Declension in German. You will learn everything about the declined nouns associated with this declension. A significant group of masculine nouns, primarily those that refer to male human beings or animals, have the suffix -n or -en in the plural and all singular cases except for the nominative case. These nouns are called ‘weak’ masculine nouns for no particular reason.
Nouns that end in -e or -er take the ending -n, such as “der Junge🚶♂️” (the boy), while nouns that end in another consonant typically take the ending -en, like “der Student👨🎓” (the student).
CONTENTS
What is N-Declension?
Nouns ending in –e
What is N-Declension?
The term “n-declension” simply means we have to add the ending -(e)n to certain masculine nouns in all cases except the nominative singular.
The number of nouns belonging to the N-declension is relatively small. Nouns of this declension are also called Schwache Nomen (weak nouns). They are always masculine. There is one exception, das Herz❤, it wouldn’t be possible without them, wouldn’t it.😊
N-declension Nouns always end in -e.
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Grammar Content
Nouns ending in -e
This group primarily includes:
- Nouns in –e
der Buchstabe (letter of the alphabet), der Gedanke (thought), der Name (name), der Friede (peace), der Wille (will), der Glaube (faith)
These nouns in the genitive case receive the suffix -s, for example: Namens. - Nationalities:
der Franzose, der Grieche, der Pole, der Russe, der Schotte, der Türke, der Serbe, der Brite, der Bulgare, der Chinese, der Däne, der Ire, der Kroate, der Ungar - Male people ending in -e:
der Bote (messenger), der Bube (boy), der Bursche (lad), der Erbe (heir), der Experte (expert), der Gatte (husband), der Heide (pagan), der Insasse (prisoner), der Junge (boy), der Junggeselle (bachelor), der Knabe (boy), der Kollege (colleague), der Kommilitone (fellow student), der Komplize (accomplice), der Kunde (client), der Laie (layman), der Neffe ( nephew), der Riese (giant), der Sklave (slave), der Zeuge (witness). - Male animals ending in -e:
der Affe 🐒(monkey), der Bär🐻 (bear), der Bulle🐃 (bull), der Coyote (coyote), der Drache 🐲(dragon), der Hase🐇 (rabbit), der Falke🦅 (falcon), der Löwe🦁 (lion), der Ochse🐂 (steer), der Rabe (raven), der Schimpanse 🦍(chimpanzee). - adjectives and participles as nouns with a definite article:
der Kleine (the little one), der Reisende (the traveler) , der Gefährte (the companion) - Nouns of foreign origin: masculine nouns ending in -and, -ant, -ent (mostly they are persons). N-declencion + -en = den Studenten
der Absolvent, der Agent, der Assistent, der Astronaut, der Demonstrant, der Diamant, der Dirigent, der Doktorand, der Elefant, der Emigrant, der Konsonant, der Konsument, der Lieferant, der Musikant, der Student, der Präsident, der Produzent. - Masculine nouns ending in -oge, -ad, -at (mostly occupations):
der Automat, der Biologe, der Bürokrat, der Diplomat, der Gynäkologe, der Kamerad(prijatelj, drugar), der Kandidat, der Pädagoge, der Soldat, der Soziologe. - Masculine nouns ending in -ist (persons, occupations):
der Autist, der Christ (Christian), der Egoist, der Idealist, der Journalist, der Kapitalist, der Kommunist, der Polizist, der Sozialist, der Spezialist, der Terrorist, der Tourist - exceptions (mostly persons or occupations):
der Architekt, der Bauer (peasant) (+ n), der Chaot (tramp), der Depp, das Herz ( des Herzens ), der Held (hero), der Favorit, der Fotograf, der Graf (Count), der Herr (+ n), der Idiot, der Mensch (human), der Nachbar (+ n) (Neighbour), der Narr (fool), der Pilot, der Prinz.
The noun der Herr has in the singular the suffix -n, in the plural -en: des Herrn, die Herren
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