German · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 12
Ich habe zwei KatzenI have two cats
The plural in German has NO single rule — you learn it with the noun. Common patterns: -e (der Tisch → die Tische), -er (das Buch → die Bücher, often with umlaut), -n/-en (die Katze → die Katzen), -s (das Baby → die Babys). In the plural the article is always "die": die Katzen, die Hunde, die Bücher. English speakers often wrongly add -s ("Katzes") — that's rare. Everyday things: die Katze, der Hund, das Buch, der Tisch, der Stuhl, das Glas, der Stift, die Tasche, das Ding, viele, ein paar.
Dialogue
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Katzes oder Katzen?— Katzes or Katzen?
- LenaMike, hast du Tiere?Mike, do you have pets?
- MikeJa, ich habe zwei Katzes.Yes, I have two cats. (slip: German doesn't add -s — the plural is "Katzen")
- LenaAuf Deutsch: zwei Katzen. Der Plural ist -n, kein -s.In German: zwei Katzen. The plural is -n, not -s.
- MikeKlar: ich habe zwei Katzen und viele Bücher.Right: I have two cats and many books.
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Dinge auf dem Tisch— Things on the Table
- LukasLena, was hast du in der Tasche?Lena, what do you have in your bag?
- LenaIch habe drei Bücher und zwei Stifte.I have three books and two pens.
- LukasUnd viele Dinge auf dem Tisch: Gläser, Stühle…And many things on the table: glasses, chairs…
- LenaJa, wir haben viele Dinge.Yes, we have many things.
Vocabulary
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- die Katze
n.f.cat (f)
- der Hund
n.m.dog (m)
- das Buch
n.n.book (n)
- der Tisch
n.m.table (m)
- der Stuhl
n.m.chair (m)
- das Glas
n.n.glass (n)
- der Stift
n.m.pen (m)
- die Tasche
n.f.bag (f)
- das Ding
n.n.thing (n)
- viele
adjectivemany
- ein paar
phr.a few
Grammar
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The plural (no single rule)
Explanation
Unlike English (almost always -s), German has five plural patterns, and you must learn them with the noun: (1) -e: der Tisch → die Tische, der Hund → die Hunde, der Stift → die Stifte; (2) -er + umlaut: das Buch → die Bücher, das Glas → die Gläser; (3) -n/-en: die Katze → die Katzen, die Tasche → die Taschen; (4) -s: das Baby → die Babys; (5) umlaut only: die Mutter → die Mütter. In the plural the article is ALWAYS "die". The typical English mistake is the English -s: "zwei Katzes" instead of "zwei Katzen". To count, the number goes first: zwei Katzen, drei Bücher, viele Dinge, ein paar Stühle.
Examples
- Ich habe zwei Katzen und einen Hund.I have two cats and a dog.
- Die Tische sind groß.The tables are big.
- Ich habe viele Bücher.I have many books.
- Ein paar Stühle und zwei Gläser.A few chairs and two glasses.
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