German N-Declension: Weak Masculine Nouns (der Student)

What is the German n-declension?

The German n-declension (German: n-Deklination, also called the weak declension or schwache Deklination) is a noun-inflection pattern followed by a closed group of weak masculine nouns — plus one neuter exception, das Herz. These nouns add -(e)n in every case except the nominative singular, including the accusative, dative, and genitive — where regular masculine nouns would only change in the genitive.

The flagship example is der Student: der Student → den Studenten → dem Studenten → des Studenten. Once you recognize a noun as belonging to the n-declension, the rule is mechanical: stick -(e)n on it whenever it is not the bare nominative singular.

You can practise these weak-noun endings right here — the interactive drills below are free, need no sign-up, and confirm instantly whether you remembered the -(e)n outside the nominative.

Quick reference: full case paradigm for der Student

Notice that the -en ending sticks to every form except nominative singular — singular and plural mostly look identical, which is one reason learners under-decline these nouns.

How n-declension differs from regular masculine nouns

The regular noun changes only in the genitive (and adds the typical -(e)s suffix). The weak masculine noun changes in three cases and uses -(e)n instead of -(e)s — a famous exception to the standard German genitive rule covered in detail in the German genitive case guide.

Which masculine nouns take n-declension?

Almost every n-declension noun is masculine and refers to a person or animal. Three clues identify them; if a noun matches two or more, it is very likely weak.

Group 1: Masculine nouns ending in -e

These add -n (they already end in -e):

Nationalities ending in -e belong here too:

Group 2: Masculine nouns with foreign suffixes

These add -en:

Group 3: Memorized weak nouns

A few common masculine nouns without a telling suffix are also weak: der Mensch (human), der Herr (gentleman/Mr.), der Nachbar (neighbor), der Bauer (farmer). The form des Menschen is a textbook example — des Menschs is wrong.

Decision flow for spotting a weak noun

• Is the noun masculine? If no → not n-declension (exception: das Herz).
• Does it end in -e and refer to a living being? → n-declension (der Junge, der Löwe).
• Does it have a foreign suffix (-ent, -ant, -ist, -at, -graf, -oge…)? → n-declension (der Student, der Tourist).
• Is it one of the memorized group (Herr, Mensch, Nachbar, Bauer)? → n-declension.

If grammatical gender itself is shaky, work through German noun gender first — the n-declension rule is meaningless if you don't already know a noun is masculine.

N-declension endings in every case

The pattern is consistent across the four cases. Here it is again with example sentences for each case:

Der Student lernt fleißig. — The student studies hard. (Nom.)

Ich sehe den Studenten. — I see the student. (Akk.)

Ich helfe dem Studenten. — I help the student. (Dat.)

Das Buch des Studenten liegt auf dem Tisch. — The student's book is on the table. (Gen.)

Der Junge spielt im Garten. Ich rufe den Jungen. — The boy plays in the garden. I call the boy.

The Herr pattern: -n in the singular

Der Herr is a weak noun, but in the singular it takes only -n (not -en); in the plural it takes the full -en:

Kennen Sie den Herrn dort drüben? — Do you know the gentleman over there?

Ich habe mit dem Herrn gesprochen. — I spoke with the gentleman.

Sehr geehrter Herr Müller… — Dear Mr. Müller… (Nominative — no change.)

The Name pattern: -ns in the genitive

A small subgroup of weak nouns adds -n in accusative and dative but -ns in the genitive. The most important is der Name:

Other nouns following this Name pattern:

And the only neuter n-declension noun: das Herz

Im Namen des Gesetzes… — In the name of the law…

Ich kann mich des Gedankens nicht erwehren. — I cannot rid myself of the thought.

Von ganzem Herzen. — With all my heart. (Dat.)

The Name-pattern genitive -ns is also what makes weak nouns useful after genitive prepositions like trotz, während, wegen.

Common mistakes with weak nouns

These are the four traps learners fall into most often. The third is the single most common error in B1 writing.

Mistake 1: Forgetting -en in accusative or dative

Ich helfe dem Student. (missing -en) Ich helfe dem Studenten. ✓ (correct)

Because the nominative is der Student, learners assume the form never changes. Remember: nominative singular is the only un-endinged form.

Mistake 2: Writing 'des Students' instead of 'des Studenten'

*das Buch des Students* (genitive -s, as if it were a regular masculine) *das Buch des Studenten* ✓ (n-declension takes -en, not -es)

This is the most-tested error on B1 exams. Standard masculine nouns take genitive -(e)s, but weak masculine nouns take -(e)n. See the genitive case overview for the wider picture.

Mistake 3: Wrong ending on -e nouns in the genitive

*das Buch des Junges* (treating it like a regular noun) *das Buch des Jungen* ✓ (n-declension: -e + -n → -en)

Masculine nouns ending in -e never take -es in the genitive. They take -n.

Mistake 4: Treating Herr like any other weak noun

Ich kenne den Herren dort. (using -en in the singular) Ich kenne den Herrn dort. ✓ (Herr takes -n in the singular, -en only in the plural)

Herr is the irregular member of the weak-noun club: singular -n, plural -en. The plural die Herren often appears in salutations (Meine Damen und Herren!).

Mistake 5: Skipping the -ns on Name-type nouns

*im Namen des Glaubes* (treating Glaube like a regular noun) *im Namen des Glaubens* ✓ (Name pattern: genitive -ns)

The Name pattern's -ns is small but unforgiving — examiners flag it specifically.

Tips for remembering the n-declension

1. One rule, no exceptions inside the group. Once you identify a noun as weak, add -(e)n everywhere except nominative singular. There is no "but in the dative…" footnote.
2. The -e ending is the strongest clue. A masculine noun ending in -e that refers to a person or animal is almost certainly weak (der Junge, der Kollege, der Löwe, der Franzose).
3. Foreign suffixes are the second-strongest clue. -ent, -ist, -ant, -at, -graf, -oge — these are reliable signposts.
4. Memorize the suffix-less weak nouns. Der Herr, der Mensch, der Nachbar, der Bauer don't follow a pattern; learn them as a closed list.
5. Watch the Name-pattern genitive -ns. des Namens, des Gedankens, des Glaubens, des Herzens — they take -ns, not just -n.
6. Singular non-nominative = all plural forms. den Studenten / die Studenten — surface-identical. Use context (verb agreement, articles) to tell them apart.
7. Dictionary shorthand: "Student, -en, -en". Two -en endings after the headword is the dictionary signature of a weak masculine noun. If you see this, decline accordingly.
8. Pair with the genitive case. The genitive is where the most-tested weak-noun error lives; rehearsing weak nouns alongside genitive articles and adjective endings cements both.