---
title: "N-Declension — German grammar B1"
description: "Learn German n-declension at B1: weak masculine nouns, -(e)n endings, case forms, singular vs plural, and key exceptions."
canonical: "https://cefra.app/en/explore/de/grammar/b1/german-n-declension-weak-masculine-nouns"
lang: "en"
learning_language: "de"
cefr_level: "B1"
updated: "2026-07-11"
alternates:
  en: "https://cefra.app/en/explore/de/grammar/b1/german-n-declension-weak-masculine-nouns.md"
  fr: "https://cefra.app/fr/explore/de/grammar/b1/german-n-declension-weak-masculine-nouns.md"
  pl: "https://cefra.app/pl/explore/de/grammar/b1/german-n-declension-weak-masculine-nouns.md"
  ru: "https://cefra.app/ru/explore/de/grammar/b1/german-n-declension-weak-masculine-nouns.md"
---

# N-Declension

[Cefra](https://cefra.app/en.md) › [German](https://cefra.app/en/explore/de.md) › [Grammar](https://cefra.app/en/explore/de/grammar.md) › [B1](https://cefra.app/en/explore/de/grammar/b1.md) › N-Declension

Learn which masculine German nouns take -(e)n outside the nominative singular. Practise accusative, dative, and genitive forms and distinguish singular from plural.

Last updated: July 11, 2026

## German n-declension

Some **masculine nouns** take **-(e)n** in the **accusative, dative, and genitive singular**. The **nominative singular** has no such ending; in the plural, -(e)n is already part of the plural form.

| Case       | Singular: der Student | Plural        |
| ---------- | --------------------- | ------------- |
| Nominative | der Student           | die Studenten |
| Accusative | den Studenten         | die Studenten |
| Dative     | dem Studenten         | den Studenten |
| Genitive   | des Studenten         | der Studenten |

Typical groups include people and animals ending in **-e** (_Kunde, Hase_), person nouns ending in **-ant, -ent, -ist, -oge**, and common individual nouns such as _Mensch, Herr, Nachbar, Bauer, Held,_ and _Prinz_.

Most take **-en**; a few short nouns take **-n**, such as _Herr - Herrn_. _Name, Gedanke, Glaube,_ and _Friede_ add **-s** in the genitive: _des Namens, des Gedankens_.

### Singular or plural?

A form such as **Studenten** may be singular or plural. The article, preposition, and verb reveal the number: _mit dem Studenten_ is singular; _mit den Studenten_ is plural.

The neuter noun **Herz** is an important exception: _das Herz, dem Herzen, des Herzens_.

## Additional groups and special cases

Further productive endings are **-and, -at, -graf**: _mit dem Doktoranden, den Automaten prüfen, die Arbeit des Geografen_. **Buchstabe** belongs to the extended group: _die Form des Buchstabens_.

**Herr** has singular _Herrn_ but plural _Herren_: _Sehr geehrter Herr Seifert; ich spreche mit Herrn Seifert; die Herren warten._ In addresses: _An Herrn Paul Seifert_.

Minimal pair: _Ich sehe den Ingenieur_ (normal) – _Ich sehe den Architekten_ (n-declension).

Informal speech may omit the ending, but standard German requires _mit dem Studenten_, not _mit dem Student_.

## Exercises

[Start practice](https://cefra.app/en/explore/de/grammar/b1/german-n-declension-weak-masculine-nouns/practice)

1. Sort every noun into n-declension or regular declension. (1 task)
2. Complete the correct noun form. Pay attention to case and number. (10 tasks)
3. Build a complete sentence from the cues and decline the noun correctly. (10 tasks)