N-declension: masculine nouns that add -(e)n

N-declension (also called "weak declension" or "schwache Deklination") is a pattern that applies to a closed set of masculine nouns. These nouns take an -(e)n suffix in every case except nominative singular: so der Junge (nom. sg.) but den Jungen (acc.), dem Jungen (dat.), des Jungen (gen.), and die Jungen (pl.). The pattern is 100% predictable once you know a noun belongs to the class — there are no individual irregularities within the main group.

There are four recognizable classes: (i) masculine nouns ending in -e — der Junge, der Kunde, der Affe, der Hase, der Löwe, der Kollege, der Genosse; (ii) masculine nouns denoting professions or people with endings such as -ent, -ant, -ist, -soph, -loge, -graf, -nom, -at — der Student, der Präsident, der Polizist, der Philosoph, der Biologe, der Fotograf, der Astronaut; (iii) masculine nouns denoting nationality or origin ending in -e — der Russe, der Türke, der Franzose, der Schwede; (iv) a small miscellaneous group including der Mensch, der Held, der Bär, der Fürst. Knowing these four patterns means you rarely need to memorize individual nouns.

Yes, but der Herr is famously irregular within the class. In the singular, the accusative, dative, and genitive forms take -n (not -en): den Herrn, dem Herrn, des Herrn. In the plural, however, it takes -en: die Herren, den Herren. Do not use "den Herren" for the singular accusative — that is a very common mistake in formal address.

Use the four-step sniff-test: (1) Is the noun masculine? N-declension never applies to feminine or neuter nouns. (2) Does it end in -e? Very likely N-declension (Class I or III). (3) Does it end in -ent, -ant, -ist, -soph, -loge, -graf, -nom, or -at? Almost certainly N-declension (Class II). (4) Still uncertain? Check the accusative singular in a dictionary: if the form is "den Xen" (not "den X"), it is N-declension. Memorizing the sniff-test is faster than memorizing the full list.

Der Buchstabe belongs to a minor subgroup sometimes called "mixed N-declension": its accusative and dative follow the standard -(e)n pattern (den Buchstaben, dem Buchstaben), but its genitive singular is des Buchstabens (with an additional -s). This genitive -ns form also appears in der Name (des Namens), der Gedanke (des Gedankens), der Glaube (des Glaubens), der Friede (des Friedens), and der Wille (des Willens).

No. N-declension is exclusive to masculine nouns. A common mistake is applying the pattern to feminine nouns like die Studentin — the accusative is die Studentin, not die Studentinnen (that is the plural, not accusative singular). Feminine -in nouns follow regular feminine declension. If you catch yourself adding -en to a feminine or neuter noun in the accusative, stop and check the gender.

N-declension errors are among the most heavily penalized mistakes in the Goethe B1 and telc B1 written-production sections. Examiners flag them immediately because the nominative-singular form (der Student) looks identical to the base form in a dictionary, making it easy to forget the oblique -(e)n suffix in a sentence (Ich kenne den Studenten, not Ich kenne den Student). Getting this right is a quick, learnable win that raises written-exam scores noticeably.

Most N-declension nouns form their plural regularly with -n or -en (e.g., die Jungen, die Studenten, die Kollegen). The notable irregularity is der Herr: while the singular oblique forms take -n (den Herrn), the plural takes -en (die Herren, den Herren). Der Bauer and der Nachbar add only -n (not -en): den Bauern, den Nachbarn. A few nouns in the nationality class also add only -n: den Türken, den Russen.