Language/Igbo/Grammar/Plurals

Igbo Grammar - Plurals

Hi Igbo learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will delve into the plural form in Igbo. Plurals are a crucial part of any language, and understanding how to form plurals in Igbo is essential to communicate effectively. We will go over the rules for singular and plural nouns, as well as exceptions to these rules. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to form plurals in Igbo with ease. Don't forget to practice and test your knowledge with our exercises at the end of this page!

Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: How to Use "Be", Future Tense, How to Use Have & Give your Opinion.

Singular and Plural in Igbo

In Igbo, nouns are categorized as either singular or plural.

In Igbo, most (but not all) singular nouns are referred to in the following way: - As + consonant (+ R, if necessary) final: Igbo (language), abịa (arrival), anya (eye), ubi (road), igede (name). - As + vowel (+R, if necessary) final: ego (money), ụlọ (house), isi (head), ubọchịchị (morning). - As + N: ụnụ (life), anọ (land), ọnụ (mouth), unu (you, pl.).

Plural is formed in Igbo by adding a suffix to singular nouns; however, we cannot say there is a "plural suffix" in Igbo, since the ending can change to vowels, consonants, heavy syllables or light syllables, and even merged with the root:

Singular	Plural
Igbo	Ịgboo (this is a special word when saying "Igbo people")
ubọchịchị	ubọchịchịha, ubọchịchịjị, ubọchịjị, ubọchachago
isi	iye, isi-ejị, isi-osimiri, isi-awụsa
ụnụ	ụnụụ, ụnụma, ụnụgwụ, ụnụkpụrụkpụ

As you can see in the examples, it is important to learn the plural of a noun as vocabulary, since the plural form can be totally different from the singular one. Here are some general rules to help form plurals:

- To form the majority of plurals, add - ụ or - aha to the singular: Examples:

Singular	Plural
egwú	egwụụ
ọnụ	ọnụma
ubi	ubịị

- If the noun ends with elongated vowels, then it does not take a suffix. Examples:

Singular	Plural
ebé	ebé

- Nouns with two or more syllables and belong to any of the 9 singular noun categories listed above take a suffix for pluralization. Examples:

Singular	Plural
anọ	ọnọ, ịnọ, ụnọ, ọnọmaka, anọmaka
ụlọ	ụlọọ, ụlwọ, ụlọike, ụlọfia, ụlọnobi
unu	unuụ, ununu, unuzara

- Plural ending "-e": nouns ending in "-e" take "-rịrị" or "-rị" for the plural. Examples:

Singular	Plural
egbè	egbèrịrị, egbèrị
menwu	menwurịrị, menwurị

- Some Igbo nouns have unpredictable plural formations, and must be memorized as unique vocabulary words. Examples:

Singular	Plural
okpu	nkaekpuruokpu, ndụkpukokpu, okpuọma
egbe	isi egberi, ọnọ egbe

- Some Igbo nouns never have a plural form. Examples:

Singular	Plural
mmanụ	- (uncountable noun)
ụra	- (uncountable noun)

Dialogue

Let's practice some of the nouns and their plurals in Igbo in a simple dialogue:

• Person 1: banyere m ụlọ-akụọ nke a, biko. (Show me that book, please.)
• Person 2: Ọ dị njo! ụlọ-akụọ ahụ a di ụlọakụọ gara ịsị. (Sure! This book is very thick.)
• Person 1: Kele-ọma. Ẹ nwere ụlọaka dị ọhụrụ? (Thank you. Do you have another book?)
• Person 2: Ee, nọ, hapụrụ ndị na-echi ogologo aka. (No, sorry, we only have these big ones.)

In this dialogue, we used the nouns "ụlọ-akụọ" (book) and "ụlọaka" (books) to illustrate singular and plural forms in Igbo.

Exceptions

As with any language, there are always exceptions to rules. Igbo also has some exceptions when it comes to plural forms.

- Words of foreign origin: These can take English plural forms with an Igbo accent. Example: Komputa (computer) can become komputa-na for plurality.

- Nouns ending in -ma or -ba: if the root word ends in -ma or -ba, the -ma or -ba is dropped, and then the plural suffix is added. Examples:

Singular	Plural
ọkụma	ọnụ
ugba	ugu

- Words ending in consonants or consonant clusters follow their own rules for the formation of plural forms. Examples:

Singular	Plural
mmiri	imiri, amiri, omiri, oriri, ụmịri
okwụ	ekwu, akwu, orukwu

Practice Exercise

Now that you have learned the Igbo plural forms, it's time to practice! Here are some exercises to help you improve your knowledge:

1. Translate the following English words to Igbo and provide their plural forms:

- Dog - Woman - Cat - Table

2. Write five examples of Igbo nouns that do not take a plural form, and explain why.

3. Write a simple dialogue using singular and plural forms in Igbo.

Don't forget to check your answers and ask a native speaker for help if needed! To improve your Igbo grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Nouns in Igbo Language – Ezinaụlọ
• Igbo Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Other Lessons

• Conditional Mood
• Pronouns
• How to Use Be
• How to Use Have
• Give your Opinion
• Negation
• Adjectives
• Future Tense
• Questions