A simplified pattern of noun formation is outlined that can assist the German teacher in helping students understand constituent relationships in long or obscure German nouns, providing an overview of significant patterns that covers a relatively complete noun system. First, significant patterns in nouns outside the process of formation, and changes over time, are briefly noted. Various processes of noun formation are then distinguished, including conversion, combination (prefixes and suffixes), compounding (determinative, coordinative, and idiomatic), variation in linking elements, agglutination, shortened forms (clipped, acronyms, and abbreviations), and special formations, often because of specific linguistic phenomena. (MSE)