Equipment vs. Equipments: Was ist der Unterschied?
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Equipment is a mass noun, meaning it is always singular and never takes an 's'.
- Never add an 's' to equipment; 'equipments' is incorrect. Example: 'The equipment is new.'
- Use 'some' or 'a lot of' for quantity. Example: 'We have a lot of equipment.'
- To count it, use 'pieces of'. Example: 'I bought three pieces of equipment.'
Overview
equipment. Im Deutschen benutzen wir für „Ausrüstung“ oft Pluralformen oder können problemlos sagen: „Ich habe zwei Ausrüstungen“.Equipment ist ein sogenanntes uncountable noun (ein unzählbares Substantiv). Das bedeutet, es existiert im Englischen schlichtweg keine Pluralform wie equipments.equipment. Es verhält sich genau wie furniture (Möbel) oder information (Informationen). Du sagst auf Englisch ja auch nicht two furnitures.Equipment ist das Konzept der Gesamtheit, nicht die Zählung der Einzelteile. Wenn du versuchst, equipment zu pluralisieren, klingt das für Muttersprachler sofort falsch – so wie „ich habe zwei Informationen“ (was im Deutschen zwar geht, aber bei equipment eben nicht).equipment richtig zu verwenden, müssen wir den Unterschied zwischen countable (zählbaren) und uncountable (unzählbaren) Substantiven verstehen. Im Deutschen haben wir zwar auch unzählbare Nomen (wie „Wasser“ oder „Sand“), aber wir sind es gewohnt, dass wir bei technischen Begriffen sehr präzise zählen können. Im Englischen ist equipment eine Sammelbezeichnung für eine Gruppe von Gegenständen.Equipment ist immer singular. Das Verb, das du dazu benutzt, muss sich also immer an die Singularform anpassen. Wenn du sagst: „Die Ausrüstung ist teuer“, sagst du The equipment is expensive, niemals are expensive.equipment mit einem unbestimmten Artikel (a/an) oder einer Zahl zu kombinieren. Du kannst nicht sagen an equipment oder three equipments. Das ist der Punkt, an dem viele deutsche Muttersprachler stolpern, weil sie versuchen, das Wort direkt zu übersetzen.partitive (einen Teilungsbegriff). Wir sagen a piece of equipment (ein Stück Ausrüstung). Wenn du mehrere Dinge hast, pluralisierst du nicht das Wort equipment, sondern das Wort piece: three pieces of equipment.equipment bleibt gleich) |a piece of equipment |The equipment is (immer Singular) |mass noun) |equipment lautet – er existiert einfach nicht. Das spart dir das Auswendiglernen von unregelmäßigen Pluralformen.equipment nicht verändern kannst, ist der Schlüssel zur korrekten Anwendung das „Drumherum“. Wie drückst du Menge aus?- 1Ein einzelnes Teil:
a piece of equipmentoderan item of equipment. - 2Mehrere Teile:
two pieces of equipment,several items of equipment. - 3Mengen ohne genaue Zahl:
much equipment,a lot of equipment,some equipment,little equipment.
a piece of equipment | an equipment |three pieces of equipment | three equipments |a lot of equipment | many equipments |a little equipment | a few equipments |some equipment | some equipments |s kommt an das Wort piece, niemals an das Wort equipment. Das ist der häufigste Fehler, den deutsche Muttersprachler machen, weil sie das s für den Plural am falschen Wort platzieren.equipment in fast jedem professionellen oder technischen Kontext finden. Stell dir vor, du bist in einer Besprechung in deinem Büro: „We need to order more office equipment.“ Hier beziehst du dich auf die Gesamtheit aller Büromaterialien.equipment so zu verwenden, ist, dass du dir keine Sorgen um die Details machen musst. Wenn du sagst: „I have a lot of equipment for my photography hobby“, weiß jeder, dass du alles von der Kamera bis zum Stativ meinst, ohne dass du jedes Teil einzeln aufzählen musst. Es klingt zudem sehr professionell und natürlich.- 1Der „falsche Plural“ (
equipments): Das passiert, weil du im Deutschen „Ausrüstungen“ sagen kannst. Dein Gehirn will das Wort direkt übersetzen und fügt einsan. Merke dir:Equipmentist wieGeld(money). Du sagst nichtmoneys, sondernmoney.
- 1Falsche Verb-Kongruenz (
equipment are): Daequipmentviele Dinge umfasst, ist der natürliche Impuls, den Pluralarezu wählen. Aber im Englischen ist das Wort grammatikalisch singular. Stell dir vor, du hättest eine Kiste, in der alles drin ist. Die Kiste ist singular, also ist auch der Inhalt singular.
- 1Verwendung von
manyoderfew: Diese Wörter sind für zählbare Dinge reserviert (many books,few cars). Daequipmentunzählbar ist, musst dumuchodera littleverwenden. Wenn dumanysagst, klingt das für englische Muttersprachler so, als würdest du „viele Ausrüstungen“ sagen – was im Englischen einfach keinen Sinn ergibt.
equipment mit anderen Wörtern zu vergleichen, die sich ähnlich verhalten.Furniture | Unzählbar | The furniture is new. |Luggage | Unzählbar | My luggage is heavy. |Tool | Zählbar | I have two tools. |Machine | Zählbar | I have two machines. |equipment Teil einer Gruppe von Wörtern, die Kollektive beschreiben. Wenn du dir merkst, dass equipment wie furniture funktioniert, wirst du nie wieder equipments sagen.equipments sagen?different pieces of equipment oder a wide range of equipment. Das klingt sehr präzise und professionell.equipment immer singular ist. Das ist weniger Lernaufwand als bei deutschen Nomen, wo du Artikel und Pluralformen für jedes einzelne Wort lernen musst.gear das Gleiche wie equipment?gear ist ein Synonym, das ebenfalls unzählbar ist. Du sagst also auch hier: I have a lot of gear, nicht a lot of gears.Grammar Rules for 'Equipment'
| Feature | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Plural Form
|
Never add -s
|
Equipment (NOT equipments)
|
|
Verb Agreement
|
Always singular
|
The equipment is...
|
|
Indefinite Article
|
Never use 'a/an'
|
Some equipment (NOT an equipment)
|
|
Counting
|
Use 'piece(s) of'
|
Two pieces of equipment
|
|
Quantifier (Large)
|
Use 'much' or 'a lot of'
|
Too much equipment
|
|
Quantifier (Small)
|
Use 'little' or 'some'
|
A little equipment
|
Meanings
The set of articles or physical resources serving to equip a person or thing, such as tools, machines, or gear for a specific task.
General Gear
Tools or supplies needed for a specific activity like sports, camping, or work.
“Do you have all the camping equipment in the car?”
“The gym replaced its old weightlifting equipment.”
Industrial/Technical
Heavy machinery or complex electronic systems used in business or manufacturing.
“The factory installed new automated equipment last month.”
“Telecommunications equipment requires regular maintenance.”
Mental/Qualitative
The mental or emotional qualities needed for a particular task (metaphorical).
“She has the intellectual equipment to solve this complex problem.”
“The training provides students with the necessary mental equipment for the exam.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Singular Verb
|
The equipment is ready.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + Negative Singular Verb
|
The equipment isn't working.
|
|
Question
|
Singular Verb + Subject
|
Is the equipment expensive?
|
|
With Quantifier
|
Some/Much + Equipment
|
We have some equipment.
|
|
Counting (1)
|
A piece of + Equipment
|
I need a piece of equipment.
|
|
Counting (Plural)
|
Pieces of + Equipment
|
Three pieces of equipment are here.
|
|
Possessive
|
Equipment's + Noun
|
The equipment's manual is lost.
|
Formalitätsspektrum
Has the necessary equipment been prepared for the operation? (Work/Preparation)
Is the equipment ready yet? (Work/Preparation)
Is the gear ready? (Work/Preparation)
Got the kit? (Work/Preparation)
The Equipment Umbrella
Sports
- Ball Ball
- Bat Bat
Office
- Laptop Laptop
- Printer Printer
Kitchen
- Oven Oven
- Mixer Mixer
Equipment vs. Tools
Can I say 'Equipments'?
Are you speaking English?
Do you want to add an 's'?
How to Count Equipment
Singular
- • A piece of equipment
- • This equipment
- • The equipment
Plural
- • Some equipment
- • Ten pieces of equipment
- • All the equipment
Beispiele nach Niveau
The school has new equipment.
I need some equipment for football.
Is the equipment in the box?
This equipment is very heavy.
We don't have enough equipment for everyone.
She bought a lot of kitchen equipment.
The gym equipment was very expensive.
Please put the equipment away.
A piece of equipment is missing from the lab.
How much equipment do we need to rent?
The technical equipment requires a specialist to fix it.
All the necessary equipment has been ordered.
The laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment.
Despite having the latest equipment, the team failed the mission.
The cost of new office equipment has skyrocketed this year.
Several pieces of heavy equipment were moved to the site.
The sheer volume of equipment needed for the expedition was daunting.
Modern telecommunications equipment is increasingly compact.
The athlete's mental equipment was just as important as his physical training.
We must ensure that all safety equipment complies with federal regulations.
The obsolescence of existing equipment necessitates a total system overhaul.
One might argue that the human brain is the most complex piece of equipment in existence.
The military's reliance on sophisticated electronic equipment proved to be a vulnerability.
The workshop was cluttered with an eclectic array of specialized equipment.
Leicht verwechselbar
Both are uncountable and refer to similar things.
One is countable, the other is not.
Learners often say 'an equipment' when they mean 'a device'.
Häufige Fehler
I have many equipments.
I have a lot of equipment.
An equipment is here.
A piece of equipment is here.
The equipments are new.
The equipment is new.
I need one equipment.
I need one piece of equipment.
Where are the equipments?
Where is the equipment?
Few equipments were used.
Little equipment was used.
These equipments are broken.
This equipment is broken.
We ordered several equipments.
We ordered several pieces of equipment.
The laboratory equipments are expensive.
The laboratory equipment is expensive.
All equipments must be checked.
All equipment must be checked.
The equipments' costs are rising.
The cost of the equipment is rising.
Satzmuster
I need some ___ equipment for ___.
The ___ equipment is ___.
A piece of ___ equipment was ___.
How much ___ equipment does the ___ require?
Real World Usage
Please wipe down the equipment after use.
The IT department is installing new computer equipment.
Heavy equipment is required to clear the site.
I spent $2,000 on new camera equipment.
The hospital needs more life-saving equipment.
Check your equipment before heading into the woods.
The 'Piece' Trick
Avoid 'An'
Check your Verbs
Gear vs. Equipment
Smart Tips
Stop and delete the 's'. If it feels too small, add the word 'some' before it.
Use 'Items of equipment' to sound more formal and precise than just 'equipment'.
Try to put 'a' in front of it. If 'a equipment' sounds weird, it's probably uncountable.
Use 'kit' in British contexts or 'gear' in American contexts to sound more natural.
Aussprache
Stress
The stress is on the second syllable.
Silent 't'
In fast speech, the final 't' is often a 'stop t', meaning the tongue blocks the air but doesn't release it.
Rising on questions
Is the equipment NEW? ↗
Asking for confirmation
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Equipment is like Water: You can't count drops (equipments), only the whole glass (equipment).
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a giant box labeled 'EQUIPMENT'. No matter how many tools you throw inside, the label on the box never changes to 'EQUIPMENTS'.
Rhyme
One tool, two tools, that's the rule. But for equipment, don't be a fool—keep it singular, keep it cool.
Story
A clumsy worker once tried to order 'ten equipments' for his factory. The supplier was so confused he sent ten empty boxes. The worker learned that if he wanted ten things, he should have asked for 'ten pieces of equipment'.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Look around your room or office. Identify 5 items that belong to the category of 'equipment' and write one sentence using 'a piece of equipment' and one using 'some equipment'.
Kulturelle Hinweise
In the UK, 'kit' is a very common informal synonym for equipment, especially for sports or military gear.
Americans often use 'gear' as the go-to informal word for equipment related to hobbies like camping or photography.
In technical fields (IT, Engineering), using 'equipments' is seen as a sign of low English proficiency and can affect professional credibility.
Derived from the Old French word 'esquiper', meaning 'to fit out a ship'.
Gesprächseinstiege
What kind of equipment do you use for your favorite hobby?
If you could buy one new piece of equipment for your home, what would it be?
How has office equipment changed in the last 20 years?
Discuss the importance of protective equipment in dangerous jobs.
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
Which of these is grammatically correct?
We need to buy three new ___ of equipment.
Find and fix the mistake:
How many equipments do you need for the project?
Select the uncountable noun from the list.
The tools are very old.
You can say 'an equipment' if you are only talking about one thing.
A: Did the new gear arrive? B: Yes, all the ___ is here.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesWhich of these is grammatically correct?
We need to buy three new ___ of equipment.
Find and fix the mistake:
How many equipments do you need for the project?
Select the uncountable noun from the list.
The tools are very old.
You can say 'an equipment' if you are only talking about one thing.
A: Did the new gear arrive? B: Yes, all the ___ is here.
Match the following:
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesHow ___ equipment do you think we'll need?
The laboratory equipment need to be cleaned.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Necesitamos un nuevo equipo de audio.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the nouns with how you would count them:
This is a very useful ___ of equipment.
The company invested in many new office equipments.
Choose the correct question:
The sound equipment for the concert ___ arriving now.
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Translate into English: 'Compraron dos equipos nuevos para la oficina.'
Score: /12
FAQ (8)
In 99.9% of cases, no. It is considered a grammatical error in modern English. Some very old technical or legal documents might use it, but you should avoid it entirely.
Grammatically, yes. Even if you are talking about a thousand computers, you say 'The equipment is...'.
You can say 'a piece of equipment' or simply name the tool, like 'a hammer' or 'a laptop'.
'Gear' is more informal and often used for sports or hobbies. Both are uncountable.
Usually, those websites are written by non-native speakers or translated poorly. It is a very common mistake worldwide.
Yes! 'Some equipment' is perfect for an unspecified amount.
They are similar, but 'machinery' specifically refers to machines. 'Equipment' can include clothing, tools, and non-mechanical items.
If you use 'pieces', the verb becomes plural: 'Two pieces of equipment ARE missing.'
Scaffolded Practice
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2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Equipo / Equipamiento
Spanish allows plural forms for gear; English does not.
Équipement
French pluralizes the noun; English keeps it strictly singular.
Ausrüstung / Geräte
German has a direct singular equivalent but common synonyms are plural.
備品 (Bihin) / 装備 (Sōbi)
Japanese doesn't use plural markers at all, avoiding the 's' mistake.
معدات (Mu'iddat)
The Arabic base word is plural; the English one is singular.
设备 (Shèbèi)
Mistakes are caused by over-applying English rules, not L1 transfer.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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