Weak masculine nouns (n-declension)

In brief

Some masculine nouns change their ending when they are not the subject. These are called weak nouns (n-declension). For example, der Student becomes den Studenten after a verb like sehen. The extra ending belongs to the noun, not just the article.

Form

Nominative singular: der Student; accusative: den Studenten; dative: dem Studenten. Add -n or -en to the singular noun outside the nominative.

Usage

• Common weak nouns include der Student, der Kollege and der Junge.
• Keep the ending when the noun follows a preposition that takes the dative, such as mit.
• Check the noun ending as well as the article when you change its role in a sentence.

Examples

• Der Student wartet vor der Tür. — The student is waiting outside the door.
• Ich kenne den Studenten aus dem Deutschkurs. — I know the student from German class.
• Ich spreche mit dem Kollegen über das Projekt. — I’m talking to the colleague about the project.

Common mistake

❌ Ich kenne den Student.

✅ Ich kenne den Studenten.

Student is a weak noun: in the accusative singular it needs -en, even though the article already changes to den.

Remember

For weak masculine nouns, the nominative singular is the only singular form without the extra ending.