Singular and plural
Singular und Plural
Recognize common German plural patterns and learn each noun together with its plural.
German has no single plural ending. Learn noun pairs: der Tag – die Tage, die Frau – die Frauen, das Kind – die Kinder, and das Auto – die Autos.
ein Tag – zwei Tage
one day – two days
eine Frau – zwei Frauen
one woman – two women
ein Kind – zwei Kinder
one child – two children
ein Auto – zwei Autos
one car – two cars
eine Hand – zwei Hände
one hand – two hands
ein Kollege – zwei Kollegen
one colleague – two colleagues
Common plural patterns include -e, -er, -en/-n, -s, and no added ending. Some plurals also add an umlaut, as in die Hand – die Hände. The plural article is always die.
Use singular and plural pairs when talking about days, people, children, cars, hands, and colleagues.
Do not add the same ending to every noun. Zwei Tag is incorrect; the plural is zwei Tage.
Learn three parts together: article + singular + plural, for example der Tag – die Tage.
Sort the six pairs by plural pattern, then say each singular and plural without looking.