Modern German Grammar: A Practical Guide, Second Edition

28 Noun declensions

28.1 General rules for noun declension are that:

(a) Feminine nouns do not change their ending in the singular:

die Tat (nom.), die Tat (acc.), der Tat (dat.), der Tat (gen.)

(b) Masculine and neuter nouns add -(e)s in the genitive singular (see also 28.1e):

des Tag(e)s, des Flughafens, des Baums

(c) All nouns add -n in the dative plural if the nominative plural does not already end

in -n or -s:

auf den Tischen ‘on the tables’

mit den Katzen ‘with the cats’

but: bei Lehmanns ‘at the Lehmanns’

in den Autos ‘ in the cars’

 See also^29 (pp. 50–3).

(d) The basic, regular pattern of noun declension (sometimes called the ‘strong’

declension) is thus as follows:

(e) Nowadays the -es genitive ending is usually used only in monosyllabic nouns

where pronunciation might otherwise prove difficult (des Jahres), but it must be used

in nouns or syllables ending in:

-s (des Hauses)

-sch (des Tisches)

-ß/ss (des Fußes, des Flusses)

-st (des Dienstes)

-z (des Schmerzes)

With neuter nouns ending in -is the genitive singular is always -isses (des Ergebnisses).

(f) The use of the dative singular ending -e with some masculine and neuter nouns is

very old-fashioned and is rarely found except in certain set phrases:

Masculine Neuter Feminine

Singular

Nominative der Ring das Brot die Frau

Accusative den Ring das Brot die Frau

Dative dem Ring dem Brot der Frau

Genitive des Rings des Brotes der Frau

Plural

Nominative die Ringe die Brote die Frauen

Accusative die Ringe die Brote die Frauen

Dative den Ringen den Broten den Frauen

Genitive der Ringe der Brote der Frauen

28

NOUNS