If a German noun ends in an "e," it's usually feminine, but there are also masculine nouns that end with "e" that require special "n" or "-en" endings in all singular non-nominative cases. To complicate things further, there are also masculine nouns not ending in "e" that require the special endings too!

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Basically, the n-declination only occurs with masculine nouns, never with feminine or neuter nouns, and only a small percentage of masculine nouns are weak. Besides the rule of masculine nouns ending with -e, there is no hard and fast rule to classify them — they just have to be learned! It's helpful to know that many are professions, animals, and nationalities. Here are a few examples of weak masculine nouns to remember that you will commonly encounter in everyday usage.

Der Junge is a weak masculine noun, which you know because of the masculine der and the -e ending. Note that the -e ending changes to -en:

Der Zauberer sah zu dem zitternden Jungen hinab.

The Sorcerer looked down at the trembling Boy.

Caption 80, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Der Zauberlehrling

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However, der Nachbar is also a weak masculine noun, despite the -r ending. Note that the -r ending changes to -rn:

Du könntest einfach zum Nachbarn gehen.

You could simply go to the neighbor.

Caption 25, Fine - sucht einen Hammer

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Der Student is a very common weak masculine noun that takes the -en ending in non-nominative singular

Ich hab' 'nen spanischen Studenten eingestellt.

I've hired a Spanish student.

Caption 22, Barbara Schöneberger - Bambi-Verleihung backstage

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Der Herr is a weak masculine noun when it's translated as "lord"

Sofort rannte er zu seinem Herrn.

Immediately, he ran to his lord.

Caption 47, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Der gestiefelte Kater

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and in its more common form as the honorific "Mr." or "Mister"

Das war eine Idee von Herrn Singer.

That was an idea of Mister Singer's.

Caption 35, Modedesignerin Nina Hollein - Floria Prinzessin von Hessen

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Further Learning
Here are some examples of weak masculine nouns requiring the -n or -en endings in non-nominative singular (all of them have the masculine article der): Architekt, Astronaut, Bär, Bauer, Diplomat, Elefant, Emigrant, Held, Idiot, Kamerad, Kandidat, Kapitalist, Kommunist, Kunde, Löwe, Mensch, Neffe, Pilot, Präsident, Rabe, Russe, Schimpanse, Schwede, and Soziologe. See if you can find some examples of them in context with -n or -en endings on Yabla German. For more reading about this topic, check out the article Tricky Masculine Nouns in German.

It's important to know how to address people. In the following example, an interviewer asks the host of the fashion show, Floria, Princess of Hesse, how she is to be properly addressed:

...also das ganz Korrekte ist „Königliche Hoheit".

...that is, the really correct [way] is "Royal Highness".

Caption 8, Modedesignerin Nina Hollein - Floria Prinzessin von Hessen

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Germans have a reputation for formal address. Traditionally, even co-workers of many years always addressed each other in the formal second person (Sie) and used both formal titles (Herr Doktor) and the person's last name. Anyone who has watched The Sound of Music knows that young ladies are to be addressed as Fräulein.

All of these things have changed a great deal in the past twenty years, and it is now much more common to address even a band you've never met before, as in the following example, in the informal second person (du or ihr, not Sie), or at least only use their first and last name without a formal title.

Und, äh, ihr habt ja auch was mitgebracht...

And, uh, you have also brought something along...

Caption 8, Undertube - Jeans Team

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The way of distinguishing between married and unmarried young women has all but disappeared, so if you meet a woman for the first time it is always appropriate to address her with Frau and her last name. Even Princess Floria concludes her thoughts on the topic, which began this lesson, by saying that the formal mode of address would be inappropriate in this context.

...aber das ist, glaub' ich, etwas fehl am Platz.

...but that is, I believe, somewhat out of place.

Caption 9, Modedesignerin Nina Hollein - Floria Prinzessin von Hessen

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It is still most polite to wait to be offered the informal (du) if the person you are meeting is your senior or in a position of authority.

Remember that while Sie sounds like the third person feminine or third person plural (sie), it is distinguished from them by always being capitalized. Also, it is conjugated like the third person plural (Sie/sie haben), not the second or third person singular (du hast or sie hat).

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Learning Tip

When learning a new vocabulary noun, memorize the definite article (der, die, das) along with the vocabulary word itself. That way you won't have to figure out what the grammatical gender is when it comes time to use it.