-e (Plural)

Plural Ending -e

Level 1

The plural ending -e is the most frequent way to form the plural for masculine nouns and is also very common for neuter nouns. It often involves an umlaut for masculine nouns.

How It Works

The -e plural ending follows specific patterns based on the noun's gender:

  • Masculine Nouns: Many one-syllable masculine nouns take -e. These often get an umlaut (e.g., der Ball → die Bälle), but many common words like der Hund (die Hunde) or der Tag (die Tage) are exceptions.
  • Neuter Nouns: Many one-syllable neuter nouns take -e, but they never take an umlaut (e.g., das Boot → die Boote), except for das Floß.
  • Feminine Nouns: Only a few feminine nouns use this ending. Monosyllabic ones always take an umlaut (e.g., die Hand → die Hände), but those ending in -nis or -sal do not.
  • Suffixes: Nouns ending in -ig, -ich, -ling, -nis, or -sal almost always take -e. Note that for -nis, the 's' is doubled (e.g., das Ergebnis → die Ergebnisse).

Important Case Rule: In the dative case, if the plural ends in -e, you must add an extra -n to the noun (e.g., mit den Hunden). This extra -n is not added if the plural form already ends in -n or -s.

Examples (5)

  1. Der Hund -> Die Hunde

    The dog -> The dogs

    Word by Word: The dog -> The dogs

    A classic masculine noun taking the -e ending without an umlaut.

  2. Der Stuhl -> Die Stühle

    The chair -> The chairs

    Word by Word: The chair -> The chairs

    Masculine nouns with 'u' often add an umlaut when taking the -e plural ending.

  3. Das Jahr -> Die Jahre

    The year -> The years

    Word by Word: The year -> The years

    Neuter nouns commonly take -e but do not typically add an umlaut.

  4. Die Stadt -> Die Städte

    The city -> The cities

    Word by Word: The city -> The cities

    A rare feminine noun that uses the -e ending; one-syllable ones like this take an umlaut.

  5. Ich habe zwei Briefe.

    I have two letters.

    Word by Word: I have two letters.

    The masculine noun 'der Brief' becomes 'die Briefe' in the plural.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the umlaut on masculine nouns that require it.

    Die Stuhle sind neu.
    Die Stühle sind neu.

    Many masculine nouns with a, o, or u take an umlaut in the -e plural form, though some common words like 'Tag' or 'Hund' do not.

  • Adding an unnecessary umlaut to neuter nouns.

    Zwei Jähre.
    Zwei Jahre.

    Neuter nouns taking the -e ending never use an umlaut, with the single exception of 'das Floß' (die Flöße).

  • Forgetting the dative -n.

    Ich spiele mit den Hunde.
    Ich spiele mit den Hunden.

    In the dative plural, nouns ending in -e must add an extra -n. This rule only applies if the plural doesn't already end in -n or -s.

How It Connects

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-e (Plural)Level 1Plural Ending -e

Learn This First

To understand how to form the plural with -e, you first need to know that German nouns have specific genders, as this ending is most common for masculine and neuter nouns. You also need to be familiar with the plural definite article 'die' which accompanies these plural forms.

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Words in This Pattern

-e