KS4 · German · Year 10

Eine neue Sprache lernen: plural rules 4 - 6

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Your learning goal

I can use plural rules to form plural nouns.

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Eine neue Sprache lernen: plural rules 4 - 6: slides adapted from the imported teaching text; recall questions created from its keywords, learning points and common mistakes. Self-check practice, with no automatic grading or XP. Answers stay on this page and are cleared when you leave.

Original teaching resources

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What you’ll learn

I can use plural rules to form plural nouns.

Key learning points

Some masculine and neuter nouns add '-er' with an umlaut, where possible, to form the plural.
Nouns borrowed from other langauges usually add '-s' to form the plural.
Female person nouns add '-nen' to form the plural.
The German short [a] sounds like the 'a' in 'Blatt'. The short [ä] is as in the plural 'Blätter'.
The German short [u] sounds like the 'u' in 'Unterschied'; the long [u] is as in 'Uhr'.

Words to know

plural rule 4: add ‘-er’ to some masculine and neuter nouns, with an umlaut where possible; for example, 'Blätter'.
plural rule 5: add -s to nouns borrowed from other languages; for example, 'Interviews'.
plural rule 6: add -nen to all female person nouns; for example, 'Lehrerinnen'.

Common mistakes

All German nouns form their plural by adding 's'.

Plural rules in German are complex and need to be learnt. Pronunciation is also important, as umlauts [ä], [ö] and [ü] can change meaning; for example, Vater, Väter. Accurate pronounciation can help with vocabulary, reading aloud and transcription.

For parents, carers and teachers

Encourage students to learn each plural rule with an example, which they can then apply to new words as they encounter them. Arrange plentiful pronunciation practice at word, sentence and paragraph level to develop student confidence.