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German grammar · B1

German N-Declension: The Weak Masculine Nouns

A group of masculine nouns adds -n or -en in every case except the nominative singular. It is a small closed group, but the nouns in it are everyday words — Student, Kollege, Mensch, Herr — so the ending shows up often.

Which nouns belong to it

Masculine nouns ending in -e that refer to people or animals: der Junge, der Kollege, der Kunde, der Löwe.

Masculine nouns ending in -ent, -ant, -ist, -ist, -oge, -at, mostly of foreign origin: der Student, der Praktikant, der Journalist, der Psychologe, der Soldat.

Plus a short list of individuals that simply have to be memorised: der Herr, der Mensch, der Nachbar, der Bauer, der Held.

The ending appears in the accusative, dative and genitive alike: Ich kenne den Studenten. Ich helfe dem Studenten. Das Buch des Studenten. Only the nominative singular is bare.

Herr and Name

Herr is irregular in a way worth memorising separately, because it appears in every formal letter you will ever write. It takes -n in the singular and -en in the plural: Sehr geehrter Herr Schmidt in the nominative, but Ich schreibe an Herrn Schmidt.

Name belongs to a tiny group that takes the n-declension endings and additionally an -s in the genitive: der Name, den Namen, des Namens. Gedanke and Glaube behave the same way.

How to spot one in a dictionary

A dictionary tells you outright, if you know how to read the entry. An n-declension noun is listed with two endings after it: der Student, -en, -en. The first is the genitive singular, the second the plural — and when both are -en, the noun is weak.

Compare a normal masculine noun: der Tisch, -es, -e. The genitive -es and the plural -e are different, which tells you it declines in the ordinary way.

Checking that line once when you first learn a noun is far cheaper than discovering the pattern later in a piece of marked writing.

Examples

• Ich habe gestern den neuen Kollegen getroffen.I met the new colleague yesterday.
• Wir sprechen mit dem Experten über das Projekt.We are speaking with the expert about the project.

Mistakes to avoid

The single recurring error is leaving the noun in its nominative form after a verb or preposition that requires another case.

• ✗ Ich frage den Kollege nach dem Weg.✓ Ich frage den Kollegen nach dem Weg.
• ✗ Wir sprechen mit dem Student über das Projekt.✓ Wir sprechen mit dem Studenten über das Projekt.
• ✗ Das ist das Auto des Herr Schmidt.✓ Das ist das Auto des Herrn Schmidt.
• ✗ Das Buch des Journalistens ist sehr spannend.✓ Das Buch des Journalisten ist sehr spannend.

How this is tested in the exam

This is a small rule with a very visible failure. Herrn in the address line of a formal email is checked in Schreiben, and Student, Kollege and Kunde are core B1 vocabulary that appear in workplace and study topics throughout the exam.

Frequently asked questions

What is the n-declension in German?

A group of masculine nouns that add -n or -en in every case except the nominative singular: der Student, but den Studenten, dem Studenten, des Studenten.

Which nouns follow the n-declension?

Masculine nouns ending in -e that denote people or animals, masculine nouns ending in -ent, -ant, -ist, -oge and -at, and a short list including Herr, Mensch, Nachbar and Held.

Why is it Herrn Schmidt and not Herr Schmidt?

Because Herr follows the n-declension and takes -n outside the nominative. The nominative Sehr geehrter Herr Schmidt is correct; an accusative or dative needs Herrn.

Is der Name part of the n-declension?

Yes, with one addition: it takes the usual -n and also an -s in the genitive, giving des Namens. Gedanke and Glaube work the same way.