spanisch learn-spanish-online.de
deutsch italian-online.de
englisch french-online.de
     Table of Contents Chapter 14 14.5 Declination - A Repetition
  learn languages with music Classic Rocks

previous
Chapter 14: Some Conjunctions

  14.5 Declination - A Repetition


The most difficult in German grammar is the declination. Therefore we have a little repetition at this point of time. The declination will follow you wherever you go with German, it is found with nouns, all pronouns (personal, interrogative, demonstrative, possessive etc.), articles and adjectives. Let's admit that's quite a lot, considering the declination doesn't really always look the same, and there are always masculine, feminine and neutral words. If it's any comfort to you - other languages have declinations too and some are much more complicated (Russian with six declinations or Finnish with 15 declinations for instance).

In Chapter 9 - declination in German we have established the different types of declinations with groups. To know them will bring you much further, therefore here another set of examples. To know the declination of a noun you have to learn the plural form of the noun. Let's have a look at some examples.

  Let's look at some examples
der Schuh => die Schuhe  
shoe => shoes
plural with e, no change of vowel => group (a)
  die Kartoffel => die Kartoffeln  
potatoe => potatoes
plural with n, no change of vowel => group (b)
  das Kind => die Kinder  
child => children
plural with er, no change of vowel => group (c)
  der Brauch => die Bräuche
custom => customs
plural with e, change of vowel => group (d)
  die Sau => die Säue  
sow => sows
plural with e, change of vowel => group (e)
  das Buch => die Bücher  
book => books
plural with er, change of vowel => group (f)
  das Kanu => die Kanus
canoe => canoes
plural with s, no change of vowel => group (g) - only neutral nouns
  der Affe => die Affen
monkey => monkeys
plural with en, no change of vowel => group (h) - only masculine nouns
  der Becher => die Becher
cup => cups
plural = singular => group (i) - only masculine nouns

The different declinations in the group you find in chapter 9.6.1 to 9.6.2.
previous