German Nouns Ending in -el
German nouns ending in -el look simple, but many students are unsure about their gender and plural forms. The good news is that most -el nouns follow clear patterns. In this article, you will learn the most common rules, the typical exceptions, and many useful examples that you can use in daily conversation.
Recommended study materials on the topic:
A-Grammar: Practice German grammar German (incl. answers)
German self-study book for A1-B1 (incl. answers)
German Verb Charts: Learning Regular and Irregular Verbs at a glance
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What you need to know first
German nouns ending in -el are very common. Many of them describe everyday things like fruit, clothes, animals, tools, and objects. When you learn these nouns, you also learn important patterns that help you understand new words.
The ending -el in these nouns is usually unstressed, so the vowel “e” is often short. This is why the words Apfel and Mantel sound the way they do.
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Most -el nouns are masculine
This is the biggest and most important rule.
The majority of nouns with -el at the end are masculine with the article der.
Examples:
der Apfel → apple
der Mantel → coat
der Vogel → bird
der Tunnel → tunnel
der Kumpel → mate
Because this group is so large, it is a good idea to first guess masculine when you see a new noun that ends in -el.
Plural of masculine -el nouns
Masculine -el nouns usually follow two simple plural patterns.
1. Umlaut + zero ending (most common)
Many masculine nouns do not add a plural ending.
They only add an umlaut when possible.
Examples:
der Apfel – die Äpfel
der Vogel – die Vögel
der Mantel – die Mäntel
2. Zero plural without umlaut
Words with foreign origin or modern usage often stay the same.
Examples:
der Kumpel – die Kumpel
der Tunnel – die Tunnel
This makes masculine -el nouns the easiest group to learn.
A few -el nouns are feminine
Feminine -el nouns are much less common, but they exist and are important for daily vocabulary.
Examples:
die Gabel → fork
die Zwiebel → onion
It is best to learn these as individual words because they do not follow the typical masculine pattern.
Plural of feminine -el nouns
Feminine -el nouns almost always form the plural with -n.
Examples:
die Gabel – die Gabeln
die Zwiebel – die Zwiebeln
This is a very regular and easy pattern.
A small number are neuter
Neuter -el nouns are not common.
They are often foreign words or more abstract ideas.
Examples:
das Kamel → camel
das Mittel → means
Plural of neuter -el nouns
Neuter -el nouns usually take one of two plural patterns:
1. -e ending
das Kamel – die Kamele
2. Zero plural
das Mittel – die Mittel
This group is small, so it is easy to learn quickly.
Remember: Most German nouns ending in -el are masculine and use a plural with an umlaut and no extra ending, while feminine -el nouns take -n and neuter ones follow simple mixed patterns.
Good nouns to learn at A1–B2 level
| Singular | Plural | Gender | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| der Apfel | die Äpfel | masculine | apple |
| der Vogel | die Vögel | masculine | bird |
| der Mantel | die Mäntel | masculine | coat |
| der Kumpel | die Kumpel | masculine | buddy |
| der Tunnel | die Tunnel | masculine | tunnel |
| der Beutel | die Beutel | masculine | bag, pouch |
| die Gabel | die Gabeln | feminine | fork |
| die Zwiebel | die Zwiebeln | feminine | onion |
| die Nadel | die Nadeln | feminine | needle |
| die Tafel | die Tafeln | feminine | board, panel |
| das Kamel | die Kamele | neuter | camel |
| das Mittel | die Mittel | neuter | means, remedy |
| das Rätsel | die Rätsel | neuter | riddle |
Easy tips to remember -el nouns
If you see a new -el noun, first guess masculine (der).
Only a few are feminine. These usually end in -bel (Gabel, Zwiebel).
Masculine nouns often have no plural ending, but may take an umlaut.
Feminine nouns take -n in the plural.
Neuter nouns are rare and usually take -e or no ending.
Conclusion
I hope this guide helped you understand German nouns ending in -el in a deeper and easier way. These words follow clear gender and plural patterns, and once you know them, German vocabulary becomes much more predictable. If you want to continue learning about German noun endings and see more useful rules, take a look at my article on nouns ending in -ik.
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