The idea
Learn the plural with each German count noun and use it after zwei, mehrere or viele. Some plurals look unchanged, so unchanged spelling does not mean singular.
One contrast, not a prediction about every learner
Mandarin ordinary nouns generally do not carry obligatory plural endings after numbers. German count nouns normally use their plural forms after numbers above one or quantifiers such as viele; the number does not replace the noun's morphology.
Individual experience, dialect and other languages you know can change which comparisons help. Use the contrast to notice a German choice; do not treat it as a label for a whole group of people.
Repair the transfer
Viele Gast warten draußen.Viele Gäste warten draußen.Learn the plural with each German count noun and use it after zwei, mehrere or viele. Some plurals look unchanged, so unchanged spelling does not mean singular.
Examples
- Viele Gäste warten bereits unter dem großen Vordach.Many guests are already waiting under the large canopy.
- Mehrere Kinder helfen beim Verteilen der Karten.Several children help distribute the cards.
- Auf dem Regal stehen sieben kleine Schalen.Seven small bowls stand on the shelf.
- Wir brauchen noch drei lange Bretter für die Bank.We still need three long boards for the bench.
- Die beiden Fenster auf der Rückseite bleiben geschlossen.The two windows at the back remain closed.
- Im letzten Abschnitt stehen viele nützliche Hinweise.There are many useful tips in the final section.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic German voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No German device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
Do not generalize a source-language pattern to every German sentence. Learn the plural with each German count noun and use it after zwei, mehrere or viele. Some plurals look unchanged, so unchanged spelling does not mean singular.
Try it yourself
Korrigiere: Viele Gast warten draußen.
Show answer or example answer
Viele Gäste warten draußen.
Viele Gäste warten draußen. Learn the plural with each German count noun and use it after zwei, mehrere or viele. Some plurals look unchanged, so unchanged spelling does not mean singular.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: Many guests are already waiting under the large canopy.
Show answer or example answer
Viele Gäste warten bereits unter dem großen Vordach.
Viele Gäste warten bereits unter dem großen Vordach. Learn the plural with each German count noun and use it after zwei, mehrere or viele. Some plurals look unchanged, so unchanged spelling does not mean singular.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: The two windows at the back remain closed.
Show answer or example answer
Die beiden Fenster auf der Rückseite bleiben geschlossen.
Die beiden Fenster auf der Rückseite bleiben geschlossen. Keep the meaning of the whole sentence while using the German pattern.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
Korrigiere: Viele Gast warten draußen.
Viele Gäste warten draußen.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: Many guests are already waiting under the large canopy.
Viele Gäste warten bereits unter dem großen Vordach.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: The two windows at the back remain closed.
Die beiden Fenster auf der Rückseite bleiben geschlossen.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
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Write three German sentences of your own that follow the pattern of “Viele Gäste warten draußen.”. Check each one for the Mandarin Chinese habit this lesson corrects, then read them aloud.