The N-Deklination (weak declension) is a special rule for a group of masculine nouns. Instead of the regular genitive -s/-es, these nouns add -n or -en to every case except nominative singular.
The core rule: identify the noun as n-declension, then add -en everywhere except nominative singular. One suffix, all cases.
Example: der Mensch (human being) · der Student
| Fall | Singular | Plural | Endung (sg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NOM | der Mensch / der Student | die Menschen / die Studenten | — |
| AKK | den Menschen / den Studenten | die Menschen / die Studenten | -en |
| DAT | dem Menschen / dem Studenten | den Menschen / den Studenten | -en |
| GEN | des Menschen / des Studenten | der Menschen / der Studenten | -en |
⚠️ No -s in the genitive! Regular masculine: des Hundes — n-declension: des Menschen.
Gruppe A Masculine nouns ending in -e
The easiest group to spot. Nearly every masculine noun ending in -e is n-declension.
Gruppe B International masculine nouns with Latin/Greek suffixes
If a masculine noun ends in one of these suffixes, it is n-declension. No need to memorize each noun — just the suffix.
| Suffix | Examples |
|---|---|
-ent | Student, Präsident, Patient, Assistent |
-ist | Polizist, Journalist, Optimist, Terrorist |
-ant | Elefant, Demonstrant, Praktikant, Lieferant |
-at | Soldat, Kandidat, Demokrat, Bürokrat |
-oge/-loge | Biologe, Psychologe, Soziologe |
-and | Doktorand, Diplomand |
-nom | Astronom, Ökonom |
-soph | Philosoph |
Gruppe C Other masculines — must be memorized
No suffix pattern; just learn them.
Sonderfall 1 der Herr
Uses -n (not -en) in singular, and -en in plural.
| Fall | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| NOM | der Herr | die Herren |
| AKK | den Herrn | die Herren |
| DAT | dem Herrn | den Herren |
| GEN | des Herrn | der Herren |
Sonderfall 2 Gemischte Deklination
A handful of nouns behave like n-declension in AKK and DAT, but add -ns in the genitive (not -en). These are mostly abstract nouns.
| NOM | AKK | DAT | GEN |
|---|---|---|---|
| der Name | den Namen | dem Namen | des Namens |
| 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 -e radar
If a masculine noun ends in -e, it is almost certainly n-declension. Scan for -e first — it covers a huge portion of the group: Junge, Löwe, Kollege, Zeuge…
Spot the Latin suffixes
Memorize the suffixes, not the words: -ent, -ist, -ant, -at, -oge, -and. Any masculine noun ending in one of these is n-declension. You get hundreds of words for the price of six patterns.
"Add -en everywhere"
Once you know the noun is n-declension, the rule is beautifully simple: add -en to every case except nominative singular. No case-by-case variation — just always -en.
No genitive -s
Regular nouns: des Hundes. N-declension: des Menschen. The missing -s in the genitive is an instant giveaway. Use the genitive as your quick test.
Gender check first
N-declension is masculine only. Feminine and neuter nouns are never affected. Before applying the rule, confirm it's der — not die or das.
Watch the traps
der Mann, der Vater, der Bruder — they refer to people but are NOT n-declension. Don't assume every "human noun" is weak. Only the ones in the three groups qualify.
| Fonction | Français | Allemand | Cas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sujet | L'étudiant travaille. | Der Student arbeitet. | NOM |
| Objet direct | Je vois l'étudiant. | Ich sehe den Studenten. | AKK |
| Objet indirect | Je parle à l'étudiant. | Ich spreche dem Studenten. | DAT |
| Possession | Le livre de l'étudiant. | Das Buch des Studenten. | GEN |
💡 Both the article (der → den/dem/des) AND the noun ending change in German — you get two signals for the case at the same time.
- Genitive with -s: ❌ des Studentes → ✅ des Studenten
- Applying it to feminine nouns: die Katze, die Straße are feminine — completely different pattern.
- Forgetting it in AKK: Accusative changes too — ❌ ich sehe den Student → ✅ den Studenten.
- der Herr confusion: It takes
-n, not-enin singular (den Herrn, not den Herren). - Mixed declension genitive: der Name → des Namens, not des Namen.
- der Mann / der Vater: Both refer to men but are NOT n-declension — they are regular.