Weak nouns are a relatively small group of masculine nouns, most of which denote living beings, that add –n or -en in all other cases beyond nominative singular, e.g.

	singular	plural
nominative case	der Ire	die Iren
accusative case	den Iren	die Iren
dative case	dem Iren	den Iren
genitive case	des Iren	der Iren

	singular	plural
nominative case	der Student	dieStudenten
accusative case	den Studenten	die Studenten
dative case	dem Studenten	den Studenten
genitive case	des Studenten	der Studenten

Weak nouns ending in -e such as Ire (Irishman) as well as Bauer (peasant, farmer), Bayer (Bavarian), Nachbar (neighbour) and Ungar (Hungarian), add only -n.

Herr (mister) adds an -n in the singular and -en in the plural.

Buchstabe (letter of the alphabet), Friede (peace), Gedanke (thought), Glaube (belief), Name (name) and Wille (will) also add an -s in the genitive singular.

Groups of weak nouns:

nouns ending in -e denoting a male person or a male animal, e.g. Junge (boy), Ire (Irishman), Franzose (Frenchman), Grieche (a Greek man), Löwe (lion), Kunde (customer), Kollege (colleague), Kommilitone (fellow student) etc.

nouns ending in -ant, -at, -ent, -ist, -krat, -oge, -om and -ot denoting a male person, e.g.

-ant: Demonstrant (demonstrator), Protestant (protestant), Lieferant (supplier)

-at: Diplomat (diplomat), Pirat (pirate), Soldat (soldier)

-ent: Konsument (consumer), Präsident (president), Student (student)

-ist: Anarchist (anarchist), Komponist (composer), Pazifist (pacifist)

-krat: Demokrat (democrat), Technokrat (technocrat), Bürokrat (bureaucrat)

-oge: Biologe (biologist), Demagoge (demagogue), Soziologe (sociologist)

-om: Dämon (demon), Ökonom (economist), Astronom (astronomer)

-ot: Pilot (pilot), Idiot (idiot)

and some other nouns such as

Architekt (architect)

Astronaut (astronaut)

Automat (automat)

Bär (bear)

Bauer (peasant, farmer)

Bayer (Bavarian)

Buchstabe (letter of the alphabet)

Doktorand (graduate student studying for a doctorate)

Fotograf (photographer)

Friede (peace)

Fürst (prince)

Gedanke (thought)

Glaube (belief)

Graf (count)

Held (hero)

Herr (mister, gentleman)

Hirte (shepherd)

Kamerad (comrade)

Katholik (catholic)

Komet (comet)

Mensch (human being)

Monarch (monarch)

Nachbar (neighbour)

Name (name)

Narr (fool)

Philosoph (philosopher)

Prinz (prince)

Rebell (rebel)

Rekrut (recruit)

Spatz (sparrow)

Satellit (satellite)

Seismograph (seismograph)

Tyrann (tyrant)

Ungar (Hungarian)

Wille (will)

There is also a weak neuter noun: das Herz (the heart); it is irregular in the singular:

	singular	plural
nominative case	das Herz	die Herzen
accusative case	das Herz	die Herzen
dative case	dem Herzen	den Herzen
genitive case	des Herzens	der Herzen