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→Grammar: noun inflection
==Grammar==
==Grammar==
German has a great deal of inflection compared to English, including three genders of nouns (plus the plural), and four cases. The system of auxiliary verbs for various tenses works similarly to English. Word order has some definite differences compared to English, but also has greater flexibility in several aspects.
German has a great deal of inflection compared to English, including three genders of nouns (plus the plural), and four cases. The plural forms of nouns follow complex patterns that are difficult for a non-native speaker to master. The system of auxiliary verbs for various tenses works similarly to English. Word order has some definite differences compared to English, but also has greater flexibility in several aspects.
===Noun inflection===
German nouns can have one of three genders: masculine, feminine, or neutral. The definite articles are as follows:
*'''Der''' Hund = The dog
*'''Die''' Ente = The duck
*'''Das''' Schwein = The pig
These three genders collapse into a single plural form, using the definite article '''die''', as in
'''Die''' Schweine = The Pigs
Indefinite articles are represented by only two types in the nominative case, ''ein'' and ''eine'':
*'''Ein''' Hund = A dog
*'''Eine''' Ente = A duck
*'''Ein''' Schwein = A pig
As in English, there is no indefinite for for plural nouns.
==References==
==References==