Language/Iranian-persian/Grammar/Plurals

Iranian Persian Grammar - Plurals

Hi Iranian Persian learners! 😊

In this lesson, we will explore the plural form in Iranian Persian. The plural is used when we refer to more than one person, thing, or concept. As Persian language teachers, we believe that learning about the plural form is critical to help you communicate effectively and avoid confusion.

To make the most of this lesson, we recommend that you have a basic understanding of Iranian Persian grammar. If you need a refresher, refer to the Grammar section on the Polyglot Club website. You can also find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Let's start by exploring the different ways to form the plural in Iranian Persian.

Basic plural

The simplest way to make a word plural in Iranian Persian is by adding -ha to the end of the noun.

• Example: ماشین (māshin) -> ماشین‌ها (māshin-hā) meaning "cars"

Note that -ha is added to the singular form of the noun, so māshin-hā only means cars, not a car and something else

Plural for nouns that end with "consonant + y"

If a noun ends with a consonant followed by y, we remove the y and add -hā to the end of the noun.

• Example: پسر بچه (pesar-bache) -> پسر بچه‌ها (pesar-bache-hā) meaning "boys"

Plural for nouns that end with -ā and -ī

For nouns ending with -ā and -ī, we add -hā to the end of the word.

• Example: کتاب (ketāb) -> کتاب‌ها (ketāb-hā) meaning "books"
• Example: کمیته (komīte) -> کمیته‌ها (komīte-hā) meaning "committees"

Plural for nouns that end in -و and -ی

For nouns ending in -و and -ی, we remove the -و and -ی respectively and add -ها (‑hā) to the end of the word.

• Example: روزنامه (ruz-nāmeh) -> روزنامه‌ها (ruz-nāmeh-hā) meaning "newspapers"
• Example: کفش (kafsh) -> کفش‌ها (kafsh-hā) meaning "shoes"

Plural for nouns that end in -یه, -یت

For nouns ending in -یه or -یت we replace the ending with -یها and -یتها respectively.

• Example: پنجره (panjere) -> پنجره‌ها (panjere-hā) meaning "windows"

Plural for nouns that end in -آ

For nouns ending in -آ, we replace the ending with -اها ، -ها

• Example: دانشگاه (dāneshgāh) -> دانشگاه‌ها (dāneshgāh-hā) meaning "universities"

Special plurals

In some cases, the plural form of a word may be completely different from the singular form. These cases are deemed as "special plurals". Here are some examples:

Iranian Persian	Pronunciation	English
مرد (mard)	mæɾd	man/men
دختر (dokhter)	dɔx'tæɾ	girl/girls
آدم (ādam)	ɒ'dæm	human/humans

Conversation

Ali: سلام، آقا کاظم. شما ماشین جدیدی خریدید؟
(salam, āghā Kāzem. Shomā māshin-e jadid-i kharīdīd?)
(Hi, Mr. Kazem. Did you buy a new car?) Kazem: بله. دو تا ماشین خریدم
(bale. Do tā māshin kharīdam)
(Yes. I bought two cars) Ali: ماشین‌هایی که خریدید، چه مدلی هستند؟
(māshin-hā-ī ke kharīdīd, che model-ī hastand?)
(What models are the cars you bought?)

Recap

We have covered several ways to form the plural in Iranian Persian. Remember that it is generally formed by adding -ha at the end of the word. However, pay attention to the exceptions we have listed above. Keep practicing and testing your knowledge with native speakers, and you will soon feel more confident in speaking Persian fluently.

Sources

• Persian plural system
• Persian language
• Persian grammar

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Other Lessons

• Persian Grammar
• Nouns
• Gender
• How to say goodbye
• Common Mistakes
• How to say thank you
• Official and informal differences
• Come
• Pronouns
• Sentense Structure