Nouns (Substantive) 📓

Nouns (Substantive) 📓

Always capitalized in German.

• approximately 50% of all words are nouns

Noun always have gender:

The best way to learn a new noun is always together with its respective article.

• Gender affects the article: der/die/das for nominative singular.

  • 🟦 der (masculine)
  • 🟥 die (feminine)
  • 🟨 das (neuter)

It can be singular or plural.

• Plural forms are always die regardless of gender.

Variable/Declinable

• Change form based on case (Nominativ, Akkusativ, Dativ, Genitiv).

🎯 Focus per level:

• A1: Gender (der/die/das), singular/plural
• A2: Cases (Nominative, Accusative, Dative)
• B1–B2: Genitive, noun–noun compounds, abstract nouns

mindmap
  root((Noun / Nomen))
    
    Gender (Genus)
      Masculine (der)
      Feminine (die)
      Neuter (das)
    
    Number (Numerus)
      Singular
      Plural
    
    Case (Kasus)
      Nominative (Subject)
      Accusative (Direct Object)
      Dative (Indirect Object)
      Genitive (Possession)
    
    Types of Nouns
      Common Nouns
      Proper Nouns
      Abstract Nouns
    
    Capitalization
      Always Capitalized
    
    Articles
      Definite (der/die/das)
      Indefinite (ein/eine)
    
    Formation
      Compound Nouns
      Prefix/Suffix

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Noun Formula

• Dative plural always adds -n if it doesn’t already end in n.
• Genitive singular often adds -s or -es to the noun.
• Feminine nouns don’t change in singular for genitive/dative—only the article changes.

Case	🟦 Masculine	🟨 Neuter	🟥 Feminine	🟩 Plural
👤 Nominativ*	der	das	die	die + (optional -e/-er/-en)
🎯 Akkusativ	den	das	die	die + (optional -e/-er/-en)
🎁 Dativ	dem	dem	der	den + -n (if not already ending in n)
🧩 Genitiv	des (-s/es)	des (-s/es)	der	der + (optional -e/-er/-en)

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n-Deklination

schwache Maskulina / Weak Masculine Nouns

A small group of masculine nouns add -n or -en in every case except Nominativ Singular — including Akkusativ Singular, which is the part that trips people up (regular masculine nouns don't change there).

	Regular masculine (der Mann)	Weak masculine (der Name)
Nominativ	der Mann	der Name
Akkusativ	den Mann (unchanged)	den Namen (+n!)
Dativ	dem Manne	dem Namen
Genitiv	des Mann**(e)s**	des Namens

Common weak masculine nouns

Mostly: nouns ending in -e referring to people/animals, and a fixed list of others.

German	English	Akk./Dat./Gen. form
der Name	name	den/dem/des Namen
der Junge	boy	den/dem/des Jungen
der Kunde	customer	den/dem/des Kunden
der Kollege	colleague	den/dem/des Kollegen
der Experte	expert	den/dem/des Experten
der Patient	patient	den/dem/des Patienten
der Student	student	den/dem/des Studenten
der Tourist	tourist	den/dem/des Touristen
der Polizist	police officer	den/dem/des Polizisten
der Mensch	human/person	den/dem/des Menschen

⚠️ der Herr is the one irregular member: it adds only -n in the singular (den/dem/des Herrn), but takes the normal plural die Herren.

• Ich kenne den Studenten nicht. → I don't know the student. (Akk., not "den Student")
• Sie hat dem Kollegen geholfen. → She helped the colleague.
• Das ist das Auto des Kunden. → That's the customer's car.

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Noun List:

• Family & Relatives 👪
  Words for family members, relatives, and relationships.

• Tiere 🐾
  Common animals from pets to wild creatures.

• Essen & Trinken 🍎🥖
  Everyday foods, drinks, and mealtime vocabulary.

• Obst & Gemüse 🥦🍓
  A colorful list of fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

• Küchenutensilien 🍽️
  Kitchenware, tools, and utensils you use for cooking and dining.

• Kleidung 👗👕
  Common clothing items and accessories for all seasons.

• Möbel & Räume 🛋️🏠
  Furniture, rooms, and objects around the house.

• Technik & Medien 💻📱
  Devices, gadgets, and media terms for modern life.

• Schule & Büro 📚✏️
  Nouns for school supplies, stationery, and office equipment.

• Alltagsgegenstände 🏠📱
  Useful general items and objects you encounter every day.

• Einkaufen & Geld 🛒💶
  Vocabulary for shopping, stores, prices, and payments.

• Transport & Verkehr 🚗🚌
  Words for vehicles, streets, and public transportation.

• Körper & Gesundheit 🫀🦴
  Body parts, health terms, and items related to wellness.

• Natur & Wetter 🌳☀️
  Nouns for weather, landscapes, and the natural world.

• Hobbys & Freizeit 🎨⚽
  Sports, games, music, and creative hobby words.

• Gefühle & Eigenschaften 💭😊
  Emotions, moods, and personal characteristics in German. `

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✨ Tip: Each section includes gender color codes — 🟦 der, 🟥 die, 🟨 das — to help you learn patterns faster.