Singular
/ˈzɪŋɡulaɐ̯/
The English word "singular" is translated into German as Singular.
In a grammatical context, Singular can function as an adjective to describe a word that refers to only one thing. It also functions as a masculine noun to refer to the concept of the singular number itself.
Meaning: grammar: referring to only one thing (adj)
Which one should you use?
The opposite of Singular in a grammatical context is Plural.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈzɪŋɡulaɐ̯/
Did you know?
- In German, the 'singular' form of some nouns is actually used to express a plural meaning, such as das Obst for 'fruit' which cannot be pluralized in the English sense.
- While an English speaker might call a person 'singular' to mean extraordinary, doing so in German sounds strictly mathematical or technical. To express that someone is truly special or unique, the word einzigartig is the natural choice.
- German has a specific linguistic term called Singularetantum for nouns that only exist in the Singular and have no plural form, such as die Milch for 'milk'.
Examples in context
- Der Genitiv Singular von „rosa“ lautet „rosae“.The genitive singular of "rosa" is "rosae".This sentence is useful for showing the genitive singular of a specific word.Tatoeba #3555454 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3557505 by Objectivesea
- Der Genitiv Singular Femininum des bestimmten Artikels im Deutschen lautet „der“.In German, the feminine definite article's genitive singular is "der".This sentence illustrates the genitive singular of the feminine definite article.Tatoeba #3555457 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3557509 by Objectivesea
- Die zweite Person Singular Indikativ Perfekt Aktiv von „laudare“ lautet „laudavisti“.In the second-person singular, the perfect active indicative of "laudare" is "laudavisti".This sentence demonstrates the second-person singular in a Latin conjugation context.Tatoeba #3555458 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3557512 by Objectivesea
- Dieses Wort steht in der EinzahlThis word is in the singular
- Bitte geben Sie die Singularform des Verbs anPlease provide the singular form of the verb
- Verwenden Sie nicht den Plural, sondern die Form im SingularDo not use the plural, but rather the singular form
- Der TischThe table
- Ein ApfelAn apple
- Das BuchThe book
- Ich habe einen roten Ball. Er ist im Singular.I have a red ball. It is in the singular form.
- Die Katze fängt einen Vogel. Das Verb "fängt" passt zur Einzahl des Subjekts.The cat catches a bird. The verb "fängt" agrees with the singular form of the subject.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are studying German grammar together.
- JuliaIst das Wort im Singular?Is the word in the singular?
- LukasJa, das ist der Singular.Yes, that is the singular.
- JuliaUnd wie lautet der Plural?And what is the plural?
- LukasDen können wir später lernen.We can learn that later.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Singular, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
