n-Declension (der Junge, den Jungen)
Some German masculine nouns follow a special pattern called n-declension (also called weak declension). These nouns look perfectly normal in the nominative singular but add -n or -en in every other case — accusative, dative, genitive — and in all plural forms too.
This group includes some of the most common words in everyday German: der Mensch, der Student, der Kollege, der Name. Dropping the ending is a mistake native speakers notice immediately, so mastering this pattern will make your German sound noticeably more natural.
The Core Rule: One Ending for Almost Everything
In the nominative singular, n-declension nouns take no extra ending. In every other case and number, they add -n (if the noun already ends in -e) or -en (if it ends in a consonant).
| Case | der Junge (ends in -e) | der Mensch (ends in consonant) |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. Sg. | der Junge | der Mensch |
| Acc. Sg. | den Jungen | den Menschen |
| Dat. Sg. | dem Jungen | dem Menschen |
| Gen. Sg. | des Jungen | des Menschen |
| Nom. Pl. | die Jungen | die Menschen |
| Acc. Pl. | die Jungen | die Menschen |
| Dat. Pl. | den Jungen | den Menschen |
| Gen. Pl. | der Jungen | der Menschen |
Notice that nominative singular is the only form without an ending — everything else is identical.
How to Recognize n-Declension Nouns
There are reliable patterns that signal a masculine noun belongs to this group:
- Ends in -e: der Junge, der Kollege, der Löwe, der Zeuge (witness), der Biologe
- Latin/Greek suffix for people: -ent (der Student), -ist (der Polizist), -at (der Diplomat), -and (der Doktorand), -ot (der Pilot), -oph (der Philosoph)
- Must-memorize common nouns: der Mensch, der Bär, der Nachbar, der Herr
Special case — der Herr: adds -n in singular but -en in plural:
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | der Herr | die Herren |
| Acc. | den Herrn | die Herren |
| Dat. | dem Herrn | den Herren |
| Gen. | des Herrn | der Herren |
Mixed type — der Name: a small set of nouns (der Name, der Gedanke, der Wille) add -n everywhere except genitive singular, which takes -ns:
| Case | Form |
|---|---|
| Nom. Sg. | der Name |
| Acc. Sg. | den Namen |
| Dat. Sg. | dem Namen |
| Gen. Sg. | des Namens |
| Plural | die Namen |
You will see des Namens frequently in written German, so it is worth knowing even if you rarely need to produce it yourself at B1.
📖 Examples
Ich kenne den Jungen aus der Schule.
I know the boy from school.
Der Student schreibt gerade seine Hausarbeit.
The student is writing his paper right now.
Wir helfen dem Kollegen bei seinem Projekt.
We are helping the colleague with his project.
Das ist das Auto des Nachbarn.
That is the neighbor's car.
Die Polizisten haben den Zeugen befragt.
The police officers questioned the witness.
Sie spricht mit dem Diplomaten über den Vertrag.
She is speaking with the diplomat about the contract.
Ich habe den Namen des Arztes vergessen.
I forgot the doctor's name.
Der Löwe beobachtet den Menschen ruhig.
The lion calmly watches the person.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Ich sehe den Junge.Ich sehe den Jungen.
In the accusative case, n-declension nouns need the -n ending. 'Junge' already ends in -e, so you simply add -n: 'den Jungen'.
Das ist das Auto des Student.Das ist das Auto des Studenten.
The genitive case also requires the -en ending. 'Student' ends in a consonant, so genitive is 'des Studenten' — not 'des Students' as English possessive logic might suggest.
Ich helfe dem Kollege.Ich helfe dem Kollegen.
The dative also takes the n-declension ending. 'Kollege' ends in -e, so dative is 'dem Kollegen'.
Der Polizisten hat mich angehalten.Der Polizist hat mich angehalten.
The nominative singular is the ONE case with no extra ending. Never add -n/-en in the nominative singular — that is the base form.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
How do you say 'I am helping the student' in German?
Choose the correct genitive form: 'Das ist das Fahrrad ___ (der Polizist).'
Which word is an n-declension noun?
Which sentence correctly uses 'der Zeuge' in the dative?
The accusative form is 'den Biologen'. What is the nominative singular?
Der Lehrer spricht mit dem ___ (Kollege) über den Stundenplan.
Wir haben den ___ (Polizist) nach dem Weg gefragt.
Das Buch gehört dem ___ (Student) aus München.
Kannst du mir den ___ (Name) der Straße sagen?