German N-Deklination (N-Declension): Easy Guide with Charts

German N-Deklination (N-Declension): Easy Guide with Charts

Understanding the German N-Deklination

CaseSingularPlural
Nominativeder Jungedie Jungen
Genitivedes Jungender Jungen
Dativedem Jungenden Jungen
Accusativeden Jungendie Jungen

N-Deklination, also known as the N-declension, is a feature of German grammar that involves certain masculine nouns taking an "-n" or "-en" ending in certain cases. Most nouns with n- declension end with an „e“ in the nominative. As you can see in the chart, the genitive, dative, and accusative in Singular and plural are having the same ending.

The Rules of N-Deklination

To figure out the n-declension in German you can apply these rules: 

  • Always male nouns 
  • Most nouns are ending with an "e"

Here you can see more specific rules for the N-Deklination:

CharacteristicExamples
People, job titles, nationalitiesder Kollege, der Postbote, der Kroate, der Deutsche, der Junge
Animalsder Rabe, der Hase, der Löwe, der Affe
Noun ends with -and

Proband, Doktorand    

Noun ends with -ant

der Kommandant, Sekundant, der Demonstrant, der Informant, der Repräsentant, der Garant, der Praktikant

Noun ends with -ent

der Student, der Präsident, der Dozent, der Referent, der Klient, der Patient, der Assistent

Noun ends with -oge

der Biologe, der Geologe, der Psychologe, der Archäologe, der Ökologe, der Kardiologe, der Radiologe, der Neurologe, der Meteorologe, der Pathologe, der Astrologe, der Zoologe

Noun ends with -ad

der Kamerad

Noun ends with -at

 der Soldat, der Bürokrat, der Akrobat, der Kandidat

Noun ends with -ist

der Journalist, der Pianist, der Florist, der Tourist, der Aktivist, der Kommunist, der Altruist, der Egoist

Exceptions: There are some exceptions like: 

  • Bär, Herr, Nachbar

Example sentences with N-Deklination

In the following chart, you can see an example sentence for each rule. 

CharacteristicExample SentenceEnglish
People, job titles, nationalities

Du bekommst den Brief von dem Postboten.

You get the letter from the postman.
Animals

Die Federn des Raben sind schwarz.

The raven's feathers are black.
Noun ends with -and

Der Forscher spricht mit dem Probanden.

The researcher talks to the test person.
Noun ends with -antDie Arbeit des Praktikanten ist langweilig.The intern's job is boring.
Noun ends with -entDer Arzt behandelt den Patienten.The doctor treats the patient.
Noun ends with -ogeDie Praxis des Psychologen ist sehr groß. The psychologist's office is very large.
Noun ends with -adDer Mann denkt an seinen Kameraden.The man thinks of his comrade.
Noun ends with -atDie Frau wartet auf den Bürokraten.The woman is waiting for the bureaucrat.
Noun ends with -istDie Reiseziele des Touristen sind sehr vielseitig. Tourist destinations of the tourist  are very diverse.

Free N-Declension Quiz

Did you understand everything? Practice the topic with the help of our free quiz: here

FAQ: 

What is N-Declension?

It is a grammatical feature in German where certain masculine nouns take an "-n" or "-en" ending in the genitive, dative, and accusative cases, both in singular and plural forms.

Which Nouns follow the N-Deklination rules?

The N-Deklination typiapplies to masculine nouns, especially those ending in "-e" in the nominative case. Common categories include nouns related to people, job titles, nationalities, and certain animals.

Are there specific endings that indicate a noun follows N-Deklination?

Yes, nouns that end in "-and," "-ant," "-ent," "-oge," "-ad," "-at," and "-ist" often follow N-Deklination. For example, "der Student" (the student) becomes "dem Studenten" in the dative case.

Are there any exceptions to the N-Deklination rules?

Yes, there are a few exceptions, such as "der Bär" (the bear),"der Herr" (the gentleman),and "der Nachbar" (the neighbor),which follow N-declension despite not fitting the typical patterns.

How can I practice N-Deklination?

You can test your understanding by taking our free N-Deklination quiz, available here.

Niko

Article by Niko

Published 21 Apr 2023