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Nouns - No Singular

  

Some nouns are only used in the plural forms. There do not exist any singular forms (plurale tantum = "plural only"). Here are some examples:

German Plurale Tantum   Phonetic Script English
     
Determination by meanings    
     

geographic terms

    
Tropen pl ['tro:pən] tropics
Alpen pl ['alpən]

Alps
     
     
Others      
     
Alimente pl [ali'mɛntə] alimony sg, maintainance sg
Einkünfte pl ['ainkʏnftə] income sg, earnings pl
Eltern pl ['ɛltɐn] parents pl
Großeltern pl ['gro:sɛltɐn] grandparents pl
Schwiegereltern pl ['ʃvi:gɐɛltɐn] parents-in-law pl
Ferien pl ['fe:riən] holidays pl, vacation sg
Flitterwochen pl ['flɪtɐvɔxən] honeymoon sg
Gebrüder pl [gə'bry:dɐ] brothers pl
Kosten pl ['kɔstən] costs pl
Leute pl ['lɔytə] people pl
Masern pl ['ma:zɐn] measles pl
Memoiren pl [memo'a:rən] memoirs pl
Röteln pl ['rø:təln] rubella sg, German measles pl
Spesen pl ['ʃpe:zən] expenses pl
Wirren pl ['vɪrən] confusion sg, turmoil sg

 

There are also nouns which have a singular form. However, these singular forms are not or hardly used while the plural forms are used most of the time. Here are the most important ones:

German Singular + Plural Forms   Phonetic Script English
     
Allüre f sg [a'ly:rə] affectation sg
Allüren f pl [a'ly:rən] airs and graces pl
   
Eingeweide nt sg ['aingəvaidə] bowel sg, viscus sg (internal organ)
Eingeweide nt pl ['aingəvaidə] entrails pl, innards pl
   
Finanz f sg [fi'nants] finance sg (financial world, financial people)
Finanzen f pl [fi'nantsən] finances pl
   
Musikalie f sg [muzi'ka:liə] (printed) musical piece sg
Musikalien f pl [muzi'ka:liən] music supplies pl
   
Trumm nt sg (obsolete) [trʊm] fragment sg, whopper sg
Trümmer nt pl ['trʏmɐ] rubble sg, wreckage sg, debris sg, ruins pl
   
Windpocke f sg ['wɪntpɔkə] chicken pock sg
Windpocken f pl ['wɪntpɔkən] chicken pox pl, varicella pl