N-declension: weak masculine nouns

A small but high-frequency group of masculine nouns follows a pattern called n-declension (also called the weak declension). These nouns have only one special rule: they add -(e)n to every case form except the nominative singular. This means the accusative, dative, and genitive singular, and all plural forms, all end in -(e)n. Common examples include der Kollege, der Student, der Mensch, der Nachbar, and der Herr. A small subgroup — the Name subtype — adds -ns in the genitive singular instead of plain -n.

Apply n-declension whenever the noun belongs to one of the following groups:

• Masculine nouns ending in -e — by far the largest group. Examples: der Kollege, der Junge, der Zeuge.

• Masculine nouns of foreign origin ending in -ent, -ant, -ist, -at, -ot — Examples: der Student, der Praktikant, der Journalist, der Demokrat.

• A handful of common native nouns — der Mensch, der Nachbar, der Herr (which uses -n in the singular and -en in the plural).

• The Name subtype — der Name, der Gedanke, der Wille. These follow n-declension throughout but use -ns in the genitive singular: des Namens.

The rule is simple: add -en to the nominative singular stem in all non-nominative singular cases and in all plural cases. If the nominative singular already ends in -e (e.g. Kollege), add only -n. Herr is irregular: it adds -n in the singular and -en in the plural.

For the Name subtype, the genitive singular uses -ns rather than plain -n; all other cases follow the standard pattern.

• Leaving the noun bare outside the nominative. Weak masculines must carry the -(e)n ending in every non-nominative case. Writing «den Kollege» or «mit dem Student» is incorrect; the correct forms are den Kollegen and mit dem Studenten. A useful check: if the article is not nominative, the noun must end in -(e)n.

• Forgetting Herrn in oblique cases. When Herr is used as a title before a name, it still declines. «für Herr Müller» is wrong; write für Herrn Müller. The nominative «Herr Müller» is the only form without the ending.

• Over-applying -n to regular masculine nouns. N-declension applies only to weak masculines. Regular masculines such as der Tisch do not take this ending in the singular. «den Tischen» is the dative plural, not the accusative singular — the correct accusative singular is den Tisch. If you are unsure whether a noun is weak, check a dictionary entry for the genitive singular: weak masculines show -en or -n there, not -s.