Grammar: Words for People, Places and Objects

1. Introduction to Nouns

Nouns are words that refer to people, places, things, ideas, or events. They are essential components in every sentence.
In German, every noun is assigned a gender: masculine (der), feminine (die), or neuter (das).
All German nouns are always written with initial capital letters.

2. Der, Die, Das (The)

3. Singular and Plural Nouns

Plural forms in German are not as straightforward as in English. They may involve vowel changes, suffixes, and even completely different word forms.
Most feminine nouns form plurals by adding -en or -n. For instance, ‘die Frau’ (the woman) becomes ‘die Frauen’ (the women).
Many masculine and neuter nouns form plurals by adding -er and sometimes include an umlaut change. For instance, ‘das Kind’ (the child) becomes ‘die Kinder’ (the children).

4. Plural Indeterminate Articles

When translating English to German in plural, ‘the’ becomes ‘die’ for all genders. However, there is no indefinite article in German plurals. For instance, children = Kinder, not *ein Kinder.

5. Common Nouns for People

Some examples to learn are: die Mutter (Mother), der Vater (Father), der Bruder (brother), die Schwester (sister).
In location nouns, cities are neutral: das London, das Paris but countries may be masculine, feminine or neuter: der Iran, die Schweiz, das Deutschland.

6. Word Formation and Compound Nouns

German is famous for its long, comprehensive compound nouns. To form compound nouns, one simply “adds” words together, and the gender is determined by the final noun. For instance, ‘der Lebensabschnitt’ (phase of life) is composed by Leben (life) + Abschnitt (section).
Understanding noun compounds helps drastically expand your vocabulary as you can deduce the meaning of a compound noun if you know the meaning of the individual nouns.

7. Common Errors to Avoid

Incorrectly using der, die, das is a common error when learning German. Remember to always learn the gender of nouns along with the noun itself.
Not factoring in the changes that occur in the plural format is another common mistake. Ensure to familiarize yourself with the various plural noun formats to avoid this error.
Overlooking the importance of noun-word order can also lead to confusion. In compound nouns, the last noun usually determines the meaning and the gender; ensure you identify this correctly.

8. Practising Nouns

Spend time learning and memorising the gender of every new noun you come across. This is fundamental in German grammar.
Practise forming compound nouns, which can be a fun way to improve vocabulary and understanding of the language.