The hidden masculine class. -n on every form except nominative singular.
A small but important set of masculine nouns — der Junge, der Student, der Mensch — takes an -(e)n ending in every case except nominative singular. They look normal in a dictionary. In a sentence, every oblique form surprises learners who haven't learned the pattern. This page teaches you to recognise these nouns on sight.
One exception. Every oblique case.
German has about 100 masculine nouns — roughly 2% of all German nouns — that behave differently from every other noun in the language. In the nominative singular they look completely ordinary: der Junge, der Student, der Mensch. Open a dictionary and you see only that form. But in every other case — accusative, dative, and genitive singular, and all plural forms — these nouns add -(e)n. Every time. Without exception.
This pattern is called N-declension (or schwache Deklination, "weak declension"). The key insight is that it is not random: it is a closed set with four predictable classes. Once you learn those four classes, you can recognise any N-declension noun on sight — no memorisation of a 100-item list required.
N-declension connects directly to the German case system. Every time you need accusative, dative, or genitive for one of these nouns, the ending is -(e)n. If you need a refresher on what those cases mean, see the cases guide.
The four noun classes
N-declension nouns fall into four recognisable groups. Learning these groups — rather than individual nouns — is the compressible insight this page is built around.
N-declension: four classes at a glance
| Class / Pattern | Example nouns | Forms (one noun) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class I -e ending |
|
| takes -(e)n |
| Class II -ent / -ant / -ist / -soph / -loge / -graf / -nom / -at |
|
| often profession / education |
| Class III nationality -e |
|
| masculine country-of-origin nouns |
| Class IV miscellaneous |
|
| memorize individually |
All four classes take -(e)n in Akk / Dat / Gen singular. Plural is regular -n / -en.
Full declension: der Junge
The worked example below shows all four cases in singular and plural. Every cell where -(e)n appears is highlighted — that is every form except nominative singular.
der Junge — complete declension table
| Fall | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Junge | die Jungen |
| Akkusativ | den Jungen | die Jungen |
| Dativ | dem Jungen | den Jungen |
| Genitiv | des Jungen | der Jungen |
Singular accusative, dative, and genitive are all identical: Jungen. Learn the accusative once — you know all three.
Per-class breakdown
Each class has its own triggering pattern. Work through them once and you will recognise N-declension nouns without needing a list.
Nearly all masculine nouns ending in -e follow N-declension. The -e is part of the stem — it does not disappear.
- der Junge, der Kunde, der Affe, der Hase, der Löwe
- der Kollege, der Genosse, der Bote, der Erbe
- Note: der Bauer takes -n (not -en): den Bauern
Ich sehe den Jungen. — I see the boy.
Ich helfe dem Kunden. — I'm helping the customer.
Das ist das Büro des Kollegen. — That is the colleague's office.
Masculine nouns with foreign-origin suffixes -ent, -ant, -ist, -soph, -loge, -graf, -nom, -at almost always denote a person and follow N-declension.
- der Student, der Präsident, der Astronaut, der Polizist
- der Philosoph, der Biologe, der Fotograf, der Astronom
Ich kenne den Studenten. — I know the student.
Der Präsident hat dem Astronauten gedankt. — The president thanked the astronaut.
Masculine nouns denoting nationality or ethnic origin and ending in -e follow N-declension. (Feminine forms like die Russin do not.)
- der Russe, der Türke, der Franzose, der Schwede
- der Grieche, der Pole, der Tscheche, der Däne
Ich spreche mit dem Russen. — I'm speaking with the Russian.
Das ist die Karte des Franzosen. — That is the Frenchman's card.
A small fixed group of masculine nouns — mostly denoting persons or large animals — follows N-declension without fitting the other patterns. These must be learned individually.
- der Mensch, der Held, der Bär, der Fürst
- der Abt, der Graf, der Hirt, der Tor (= fool)
Ich kenne den Menschen. — I know the person.
Der König hat den Helden gelobt. — The king praised the hero.
How to recognise an N-declension noun
Run this four-step check whenever you encounter an unfamiliar masculine noun. It takes about three seconds.
The four-step sniff-test
- 1
Is the noun masculine (der)?
If no → stop. N-declension never applies to feminine or neuter nouns.
- 2
Does it end in -e?
Very likely N-declension (Class I or III).
- 3
Does it end in -ent, -ant, -ist, -soph, -loge, -graf, -nom, or -at?
Almost certainly N-declension (Class II) — especially if it denotes a person.
- 4
Still uncertain? Check the accusative singular.
If the form is den -en (not den X) → it is N-declension. Dictionaries often list this as der Junge, -n, -n after the headword.
Irregularities and special cases
Four subgroups deviate slightly from the standard N-declension pattern. These are the forms that trip up learners who think they have mastered the rule.
der Herr — singular -n, plural -en
In the singular, oblique forms take -n (not -en). In the plural they take -en. The two forms are not interchangeable.
| Fall | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Herr | die Herren |
| Akkusativ | den Herrn | die Herren |
| Dativ | dem Herrn | den Herren |
| Genitiv | des Herrn | der Herren |
Ich schreibe an Herrn Müller. — I'm writing to Mr Müller.
Bitte sagen Sie Herrn Schmidt Bescheid. — Please let Mr Schmidt know.
Die Herren sind eingeladen. — The gentlemen are invited. (plural)
Mixed N-declension — genitive adds -ns
A small group follows N-declension in Akk and Dat, but takes -ns in the genitive singular (not just -n). Accusative and dative are standard.
| Nominativ | Akkusativ | Dativ | Genitiv |
|---|---|---|---|
| der Name | den Namen | dem Namen | des Namens |
| der Buchstabe | den Buchstaben | dem Buchstaben | des Buchstabens |
| der Gedanke | den Gedanken | dem Gedanken | des Gedankens |
| der Glaube | den Glauben | dem Glauben | des Glaubens |
| der Wille | den Willen | dem Willen | des Willens |
| der Friede | den Frieden | dem Frieden | des Friedens |
The -ns genitive is the only deviation — everything else is standard -(e)n.
der Bauer and der Nachbar — only -n
These Class I members take -n (not -en) in all oblique forms. The stem does not end in -e, so no extra vowel is added.
den Bauern (not den Baueren)
dem Bauern, des Bauern
den Nachbarn, dem Nachbarn, des Nachbarn
der Mensch — Class IV, no visual clue
der Mensch follows regular N-declension (den Menschen, dem Menschen, des Menschen), but the ending -sch gives no visual hint. It is one of the most frequently tested N-declension nouns because learners forget it.
Ich kenne den Menschen. — I know the person.
Er arbeitet für den Menschen. — He works for the person.
N-declension vs. the dative plural -n
Two different rules both produce -n endings. Learners often conflate them.
N-declension vs. n-Dativ-Plural
Both rules add -n, but they apply to completely different sets of nouns and cases.
-(e)n in Akk / Dat / Gen singular AND all plural forms
Example
den Jungen (Akk sg), dem Jungen (Dat sg), den Jungen (Dat pl)
Class: masculine only. Triggered by noun class, not case alone.
Dative plural adds -n to ALL nouns unless they already end in -n or -s
Example
mit den Büchern (Dat pl), in den Städten (Dat pl), mit den Autos (no -n added)
Universal rule: applies to every gender and every noun class.
Both rules can stack: an N-declension noun in the dative plural takes -(e)n from N-declension, which also satisfies the dative-plural -n rule. E.g., 'mit den Kollegen' — Kollege is N-declension, and the dative plural -n is part of the same ending.
Adjective endings with N-declension nouns
N-declension affects only the noun. The adjective still follows normal weak or strong declension — it does not do anything special because the noun is N-declension.
| Fall | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der nette Junge | adjective: weak -e after der |
| Akkusativ | den netten Jungen | adjective: weak -en; noun: -en from N-decl |
| Dativ | dem netten Jungen | adjective: weak -en; noun: -en from N-decl |
| Genitiv | des netten Jungen | adjective: weak -en; noun: -en from N-decl |
For the full adjective ending system, see the adjective endings guide.
Why this matters for the B1 exam
N-declension errors are among the most heavily penalised mistakes in the Goethe B1 and telc B1 written-production sections. Native speakers notice *Ich kenne den Student immediately — the nominative form in an accusative slot stands out as clearly wrong. The good news is that because N-declension is a closed set with four predictable classes, it is one of the fastest advanced-grammar wins available to a B1 learner. A single focused session on the four classes and the sniff-test gives a measurable exam edge.
N-declension connects directly to the case system — if you are not yet comfortable with all four cases and when to use each, the Review the four cases → is the right next step.
Common mistakes
These are the five errors that appear most often in B1 written-production tasks and spoken exams.
Ich kenne den Student. → Ich kenne den Studenten.
Akkusativ triggers -(e)n — the most common forgotten ending.
die Studentin → *die Studentinnen (sg.) → die Studentin (sg.) — die Studentinnen (pl.)
N-declension is masculine only. Feminine -in nouns follow regular feminine declension.
Ich schreibe an den Herren Müller. → Ich schreibe an Herrn Müller.
Singular accusative of Herr is Herrn, not Herren. Herren is plural.
Er arbeitet mit dem Student. → Er arbeitet mit dem Studenten.
Dativ also triggers -(e)n — the same ending applies across Akk, Dat, and Gen.
Ich sehe den Mensch. → Ich sehe den Menschen.
Mensch is Class IV: no obvious ending-pattern clue, but it is very high-frequency.