22.7 Nouns in German: Neutral Nouns
German, like many other languages, has nouns that are classified by gender. However, unlike English, for example, German has three genders: masculine, feminine and neuter. In this section, we will focus our attention on neuter nouns.
What are neuter nouns?
Neuter nouns are those that are neither masculine nor feminine. In German, these nouns are preceded by the definite article "das" in the singular and "die" in the plural. For example, "das Kind" (the child), "das Buch" (the book), "die Kinder" (the children), "die Bücher" (the books).
How to identify neuter nouns?
Gendering a noun in German can be a challenging task, as there are no strict rules that determine the gender of each noun. However, there are some tips that can help you identify neuter nouns.
First, many German neuter nouns are equivalent to English nouns that have no gender. For example, "das Baby" (the baby), "das Taxi" (the taxi), "das Hotel" (the hotel). Also, many nouns ending in "-chen" or "-lein" are neuter. For example, "das Mädchen" (the girl), "das Fräulein" (the young lady).
Forming the plural of neuter nouns
Forming the plural of neuter nouns in German can also be a bit tricky, as there is no single rule that applies to all nouns. However, there are some general guidelines that may be helpful.
Many neuter nouns form the plural by adding "-er" to the end of the word and changing the vowel to an umlaut (if there is one). For example, "das Kind" becomes "die Kinder", "das Buch" becomes "die Bücher". Some neuter nouns do not change in the plural. For example, "das Jahr" (the year) becomes "die Jahre" (the years).
Neuter nouns and grammatical cases
In German, nouns change form depending on the grammatical case they are in. In the case of neuter nouns, they maintain the same form in the nominative and accusative. For example, "das Kind" (the child) remains "das Kind" in the accusative. In the genitive, most neuter nouns add "-s" or "-es" to the end. For example, "das Buch" (the book) becomes "des Buches" (from the book).
In short, neuter nouns in German are an essential part of the language's grammar and take practice to master. However, with time and practice, you will feel more comfortable using them in your conversations and writing in German.
Practical exercises
To help solidify your knowledge of German neuter nouns, we recommend that you practice with practice exercises. Try to identify neuter nouns in German texts, practice forming the plural and using them in sentences in the right context. Remember, practice makes perfect!
