German · B1 · Everyday language
Describing whole groups in German
Describe what groups of things have in common. With plural nouns without an article, adjectives take -e in both the nominative and the accusative: lange Wörter, klare Regeln.
What you'll learn
- Talk about categories using plural nouns without an article.
- Use adjective ending -e with article-free plural subjects and direct objects.
- Recognize the same ending in phrases such as kurze Pausen and frische Ideen.
German phrases for describing whole groups
Lange Wörter sind manchmal schwer auszusprechen.
Long words are sometimes difficult to pronounce.
Lange Wörter is the plural subject: lang takes -e.
Kurze Pausen helfen mir, mich zu konzentrieren.
Short breaks help me concentrate.
Kurze Pausen is a nominative plural phrase without an article.
Klare Regeln machen Spiele einfacher.
Clear rules make games easier.
Klar takes -e before the article-free plural subject Regeln.
Ich bevorzuge ruhige Orte, wenn ich lese.
I prefer quiet places when I read.
Ruhige Orte is the direct object. The accusative plural ending is also -e.
Lustige Beispiele helfen mir, mir Dinge zu merken.
Funny examples help me remember things.
Lustige Beispiele is the plural subject; lustig takes -e.
Wir brauchen frische Ideen für unser Projekt.
We need fresh ideas for our project.
Frische Ideen is an article-free accusative plural direct object.
Kleine Schritte können einen großen Unterschied machen.
Small steps can make a big difference.
Kleine Schritte is the article-free plural subject.
Gute Fragen bringen uns zum Nachdenken.
Good questions make us think.
Gute Fragen is the plural subject: gut takes -e.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
das Wort; plural: die Wörter
word
Use Wörter for individual words, such as words you pronounce or learn.
die Pause; plural: die Pausen
break
Kurze Pausen means short breaks.
die Regel; plural: die Regeln
rule
Klare Regeln means clear rules.
das Spiel; plural: die Spiele
game
der Ort; plural: die Orte
place
Ruhige Orte are quiet places.
das Beispiel; plural: die Beispiele
example
Lustig means funny or amusing.
das Ding; plural: die Dinge
thing
die Idee; plural: die Ideen
idea
Frische Ideen means fresh or new ideas.
das Projekt; plural: die Projekte
project
der Schritt; plural: die Schritte
step
Can describe a physical step or a small action toward a goal.
der Unterschied; plural: die Unterschiede
difference
die Frage; plural: die Fragen
question
Talking about categories without an article
German often uses plural nouns without an article to talk about things in general rather than a particular set. If an adjective comes before the noun, it still needs an ending. This article-free pattern is called strong adjective declension.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| General category | adjective + -e + plural noun | Klare Regeln machen Spiele einfacher. |
| Unspecified things | adjective + -e + plural noun | Wir brauchen frische Ideen. |
The same -e ending for subjects and direct objects
For plural nouns without an article, use -e on the adjective in both the nominative (subject) and accusative (direct object). The noun's singular gender does not change this ending. This rule applies to adjectives placed before the noun.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative: subject | kurz + e → kurze Pausen | Kurze Pausen helfen mir. |
| Accusative: direct object | kurz + e → kurze Pausen | Ich brauche kurze Pausen. |
| More adjective forms | lang → lange; ruhig → ruhige; gut → gute | Ich bevorzuge ruhige Orte. |
More examples
Lustige Beispiele machen das Lernen leichter.
Funny examples make learning easier.
Lustige Beispiele is a nominative plural subject without an article.
Wir sammeln gute Fragen.
We are collecting good questions.
Gute Fragen is an accusative plural direct object without an article.
Klare Regeln helfen uns. Wir brauchen klare Regeln.
Clear rules help us. We need clear rules.
Klare Regeln keeps -e when it changes from subject to direct object.