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Grammar | |
Nouns | |
Plural | |
No Singular |
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Nouns - No Singular |
Some nouns are only used in the plural forms. There do not exist any singular forms (plurale tantum = "plural only"). Here are some examples:
| German Plurale Tantum | Phonetic Script | English | |
| Determination by meanings | |||
geographic terms |
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| Tropen pl | ['tro:pən] | tropics | |
| Alpen pl | ['alpən] | Alps |
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| Others | |||
| Alimente pl | [ali'mɛntə] | alimony sg, maintainance sg | |
| Einkünfte pl | ['ainkʏnftə] | income sg, earnings pl | |
| Eltern pl | ['ɛltɐn] | parents pl | |
| Großeltern pl | ['gro:sɛltɐn] | grandparents pl | |
| Schwiegereltern pl | ['ʃvi:gɐɛltɐn] | parents-in-law pl | |
| Ferien pl | ['fe:riən] | holidays pl, vacation sg | |
| Flitterwochen pl | ['flɪtɐvɔxən] | honeymoon sg | |
| Gebrüder pl | [gə'bry:dɐ] | brothers pl | |
| Kosten pl | ['kɔstən] | costs pl | |
| Leute pl | ['lɔytə] | people pl | |
| Masern pl | ['ma:zɐn] | measles pl | |
| Memoiren pl | [memo'a:rən] | memoirs pl | |
| Röteln pl | ['rø:təln] | rubella sg, German measles pl | |
| Spesen pl | ['ʃpe:zən] | expenses pl | |
| Wirren pl | ['vɪrən] | confusion sg, turmoil sg | |
There are also nouns which have a singular form. However, these singular forms are not or hardly used while the plural forms are used most of the time. Here are the most important ones:
| German Singular + Plural Forms | Phonetic Script | English | |
| Allüre f sg | [a'ly:rə] | affectation sg | |
| Allüren f pl | [a'ly:rən] | airs and graces pl | |
| Eingeweide nt sg | ['aingəvaidə] | bowel sg, viscus sg (internal organ) | |
| Eingeweide nt pl | ['aingəvaidə] | entrails pl, innards pl | |
| Finanz f sg | [fi'nants] | finance sg (financial world, financial people) | |
| Finanzen f pl | [fi'nantsən] | finances pl | |
| Musikalie f sg | [muzi'ka:liə] | (printed) musical piece sg | |
| Musikalien f pl | [muzi'ka:liən] | music supplies pl | |
| Trumm nt sg (obsolete) | [trʊm] | fragment sg, whopper sg | |
| Trümmer nt pl | ['trʏmɐ] | rubble sg, wreckage sg, debris sg, ruins pl | |
| Windpocke f sg | ['wɪntpɔkə] | chicken pock sg | |
| Windpocken f pl | ['wɪntpɔkən] | chicken pox pl, varicella pl | |