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English plural objects that are singular in German

In English, we often use plural words for single items if they are made of two parts. You wear glasses on your face, put trousers on your legs, and cut paper with scissors. Because these words are plural, they take plural verbs, and we have to add the phrase "a pair of" to count them.

German makes things much simpler. Most of these items are ordinary singular nouns. A German speaker does not wear "glasses", but rather "a glass". This means you will use singular articles like ein or eine, and the verb will also be singular. If you want to talk about multiple items, you just use the normal German plural without translating "a pair of".

Word list
BrillefA1 glasses eine Brille = a pair of glasses HosefA1 pants eine Hose = a pair of trousers ScherefA2 scissors eine Schere = a pair of scissors SonnenbrillefA2 sunglasses eine Sonnenbrille = a pair of sunglasses TreppefA2 stairs die Treppe = the stairs BadehosefB1 swimming trunks eine Badehose = a pair of swimming trunks JeansfB1 jeans eine Jeans = a pair of jeans PyjamamB1 pajamas ein Pyjama = a pair of pajamas SchlafanzugmB1 pajamas ein Schlafanzug = a pair of pajamas SchwimmbrillefB1 swimming goggles eine Schwimmbrille = a pair of swimming goggles WaagefB1 balance eine Waage = a set of scales FernglasnB2 binoculars ein Fernglas = a pair of binoculars KopfhörermB2 headphones ein Kopfhörer = a pair of headphones LenkermB2 handlebar ein Lenker = handlebars ZahnspangefB2 braces eine Zahnspange = braces ZirkelmB2 compass ein Zirkel = a pair of compasses LenkstangefC1 handlebar eine Lenkstange = handlebars StrumpfhosefC1 pantyhose eine Strumpfhose = a pair of pantyhose DudelsackmC2 bagpipes ein Dudelsack = bagpipes ZangefC2 pliers eine Zange = a pair of pliers
Clothing and Eyewear

Trousers and pants are plural in English, but the German word Hose is singular. The same applies to specific types of legwear like Badehose, Strumpfhose, and Jeans. When talking about one item, you treat it like any other singular noun.

Ich brauche eine neue Hose.
(I need a new pair of trousers.)
Heute trägt sie eine blaue Jeans.
(Today she is wearing blue jeans.)

Nightwear works the same way. Whether you prefer Schlafanzug or Pyjama, you are wearing a singular outfit in German.

Dein Schlafanzug ist im Badezimmer.
(Your pajamas are in the bathroom.)

Words for eyewear are also singular. The base word is Brille, which is used to make longer words like Sonnenbrille and Schwimmbrille. Notice how the verb becomes singular to match.

Meine neue Brille ist sehr teuer.
(My new glasses are very expensive.)
Er hat zwei Sonnenbrillen gekauft.
(He bought two pairs of sunglasses.)
Tools and Devices

English uses "a pair of" for tools with two moving parts, but German uses simple singular nouns. You cut with eine Schere, grip things with eine Zange, and draw circles with ein Zirkel.

Wo liegt die Schere?
(Where are the scissors?)

Weighing scales and binoculars also take singular verbs in German. Waage and Fernglas are counted normally.

Diese Waage funktioniert nicht.
(These scales do not work.)
Er hat ein Fernglas mitgebracht.
(He brought a pair of binoculars.)
Other Surprising Singulars

A few other objects are often plural in English but singular in German. If you are climbing the stairs, you are walking up eine Treppe. If you hold the handlebars of a bicycle, you grip ein Lenker or eine Lenkstange.

Die Treppe ist ziemlich steil.
(The stairs are quite steep.)

Medical devices like braces for your teeth translate to the singular noun Zahnspange. Even musical instruments like bagpipes are singular. You play ein Dudelsack.

Sie trägt eine Zahnspange.
(She wears braces.)
Er lernt, Dudelsack zu spielen.
(He is learning to play the bagpipes.)
Summary

When talking about objects that English treats as pairs or words that are always plural, check if German uses a normal singular noun instead. Words like Hose, Brille, and Schere do not need the phrase "a pair of". You simply use a singular article and a singular verb.