Language/Telugu/Grammar/Plurals
Hi Telugu learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will cover Telugu Grammar - Plurals. Plurals refer to more than one object, animate or inanimate. In Telugu, there are rules to form plurals based on the noun and its ending. Telugu plurals are very specific, and every noun has its own plural form. This lesson will introduce you to the various plural forms in Telugu, their rules and exceptions, and also provide you with some examples.
After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Negation, Telugu Grammar – Intermediate Telugu – Complex Sentence Structure, Subject, Object, and Verb & Advanced Verbs.
Singular vs Plural[edit | edit source]
In English, plurals are usually formed by adding an “s” or “es” to the end of a word. However, in Telugu, plurals are formed in many ways, based on the noun-ending, the gender (masculine, feminine, neutral), and the context. Remember that there is no single rule to form all plurals in Telugu, and you need to learn them by heart.
To form the plural, Telugu adds various suffixes, which are mentioned below based on the type of endings of the noun.
Nouns ending in Consonants[edit | edit source]
Telugu nouns that end in a consonant form their plurals by adding “lu” to the end of the singular noun. Here are some examples of nouns ending in consonants:
| Telugu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| పిల్లి (pilli) | /pɪl.li/ | Cat |
| మనిషి (maniṣi) | /ma.ni.ʂi/ | Man |
| కార్యాలయం (kāryālayam) | /kaːr.jaː.la.jam/ | Office |
| పుస్తకం (pustakam) | /pʊs.ta.kam/ | Book |
When we change these to their plural forms, we add $\texttt{-lu}$ to get:
| Telugu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| పిల్లిలు (pillilu) | /pɪl.li.lu/ | Cats |
| మనిషులు (maniṣulu) | /ma.ni.ʂu.lu/ | Men |
| కార్యాలయాలు (kāryālayālu) | /kaːr.jaː.la.jaː.lu/ | Offices |
| పుస్తకాలు (pustakālu) | /pʊs.ta.kaː.lu/ | Books |
Nouns ending in “a”[edit | edit source]
Nouns in Telugu that end with an “a” typically form their plurals by dropping the “a” and adding లు (lu) at the end. Here are some examples:
| Telugu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| రామ (rāma) | /raː.ma/ | Rama |
| పాపం (pāpaṃ) | /paː.paŋ/ | Sin |
| దరిద్ర (daridra) | /da.ri.dra/ | Poor |
| సహజం (sahajaṃ) | /sa.ha.jaŋ/ | Natural |
When we change these to their plural forms, we remove అ (a) and add లు(lu) to get:
| Telugu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| రామలు (rāmalu) | /raː.ma.lu/ | Ramas |
| పాపాలు (pāpālu) | /paː.paː.lu/ | Sins |
| దరిద్రులు (daridrulu) | /da.ri.dru.lu/ | Poors |
| సహజాలు (sahajālu) | /sa.ha.dʒa.lu/ | Naturals |
Nouns ending in “i”[edit | edit source]
Nouns that end with “i” in Telugu are also pluralized by dropping the “i” and adding లు(lu). Here are some examples:
| Telugu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| పదము (padamu) | /pa.da.mu/ | Word |
| జగిలి (jagili) | /dʒa.gi.li/ | Nail |
| జంతు (jantu) | /dʒan.tu/ | Animal |
| ఉపయోగించాలి (upayōgincāli) | /upajoːɡinʧaːli/ | Should use |
When we change these to their plural forms, we remove ఇ (i) and add లు (lu) to get:
| Telugu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| పదాలు (padālu) | /pa.daː.lu/ | Words |
| జగిల్లు (jagillu) | /dʒa.gil.lu/ | Nails |
| జంతువులు (jantuvulu) | /dʒan.tu.vu.lu/ | Animals |
| ఉపయోగించాలు (upayōgincālu) | /upajoːɡinʧaː.lu/ | Should use (Plural) |
Note that where ఇ (i) occurs twice in the original Telugu word, both i's are removed and లు (lu) is added. For example, the word ఉత్తరించినారు (uttarinchināru) means 'answered'. Its plural form is ఉత్తరించినారులు /uttarinchinārulu /.
Nouns ending in “u”[edit | edit source]
Nouns that end in ఉ(u) are unique in Telugu because their plurals are formed by removing ఉ (u) and adding లు (lu). Here are some examples:
| Telugu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ఆముదు (āmudu) | /aː.mu.du/ | Mango |
| తేనెలు (tēnelu) | /teː.nɛ.lu/ | Bees |
| ఈర్ర (īrra) | /iːr.ra/ | Red ant |
| పది (padi) | /pad.i/ | Ten |
When we change these to their plural forms, we remove ఉ (u) and add లు (lu) to get:
| Telugu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ఆముదులు (āmudulu) | /aː.mu.du.lu/ | Mangoes |
| తేనెలు (tēnelu) | /teː.nɛ.lu/ | Bees |
| ఈర్రలు (īrralu) | /iːr.ra.lu/ | Red ants |
| పదిలు (padilu) | /pad.i.lu/ | Tens |
Exceptions[edit | edit source]
While Telugu plurals are formed following some rules, there are some nouns that do not follow any of these listed. Thus, it becomes practically impossible to predict the plurals for such nouns.
Here are some examples:
- ెక్కులు (ekkulu) (meaning classes)
- మాటలు (māṭalu) (meaning words)
- స్థలాలు (sthālalu) (meaning places)
These are some common exception words, but do not limit to only these. There are many such words that are not following the norms.
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
Person 1: ఒక గ్లాసు నీలవేల (Oka glaasu neelavela) (One glass of water, please)
Person 2: అందుకే ఇక్కడ కాపాడుకోని ఉండాను (Andhuke ikkada kaapaadukoṇi undaanu) (That is why I am here to serve you)
Person 1: పిల్లిలు చాలా సంతోషంగా ఉన్నాయి (pillilu chala santōṣaṃgā unnāyi) (Cats are very happy)
Person 2: అవిల్లేది అందరికి అంతా ఖరాబాయి (Avillēdi andariki anthā kharābāyi) (They are always nuisance to all)
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
In conclusion, the formation of plurals in Telugu is very specific and is not consistent like in English. It is important to remember the rules mentioned above and practice them regularly by speaking with native speakers or practicing with exercises. Additionally, using Grammarly or other learning apps can help in practicing Telugu grammar. To improve your Telugu Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
Sources[edit | edit source]
Congratulations on finishing this lesson! Explore these related pages to keep learning: Basic Sentence Structure, Intermediate Telugu, Gender & Give your Opinion.
Videos[edit | edit source]
Singular & Plural rules For Kids in Telugu - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Singular and plural nouns తెలుగు లో| Nouns in telugu - YouTube[edit | edit source]
0168-04-Telugu Meanings of Singular and Plural Nouns - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]