Understanding Singular and Plural Forms
In German, the singular form “Kuh” refers to one cow. It is a feminine noun, hence it is preceded by the definite article “die” (the) or the indefinite article “eine” (a/an). For instance:
Die Kuh steht auf dem Feld. (The cow is standing in the field.)
Eine Kuh gibt viel Milch. (A cow gives a lot of milk.)
When referring to more than one cow, the plural form “Kühe” is used, and the article changes to “die” in the plural irrespective of the gender.
Die Kühe grasen auf der Wiese. (The cows are grazing in the meadow.)
Ich sehe drei Kühe im Stall. (I see three cows in the barn.)
The Challenge of German Plurals
The transition from “Kuh” to “Kühe” is an example of one of the various ways that German nouns can form their plurals. Unlike English, where the addition of an -s or -es suffix is often enough to form a plural, German plurals can involve changes in vowels, consonants, or both, and sometimes with no changes at all.
The plural form “Kühe” is formed by changing the internal vowel ‘u’ to ‘ü’ and adding an ‘e’ at the end. This type of vowel change is known as umlaut. Umlauts are a crucial aspect of German grammar and are seen in many other nouns as well.