Language/Tamil/Grammar/Plurals

Tamil Grammar - Plurals

Hi Tamil learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will explore the concept of plurals in the Tamil language. Knowing how to form plurals is essential to make proper sentences and communicate effectively in Tamil.

Introduction

In Tamil, the plural form refers to more than one person or thing. Generally, the plural form is formed by adding a suffix to the singular form of the word. It is crucial to learn the plural suffixes and their application in forming plurals in Tamil.

For the purpose of clarity, we will discuss the formation of plurals in different categories of words. These categories include nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and numerals.

Nouns

In Tamil, a noun can be either animate or inanimate. Depending on the category, the suffix used to form the plural will vary. Below are some examples of nouns and the corresponding suffix used to form the plural:

Tamil	Pronunciation	English
குழந்தை	kuḻantai	Child
குழந்தைகள்	kuḻantaikaḷ	Children
மாடு	māṭu	Cow
மாடுகள்	māṭukaḷ	Cows
வேட்டை	vēṭṭai	Cat
வேட்டைகள்	vēṭṭaikaḷ	Cats

As you can see from the examples above, the plural suffix used for animate nouns is 'கள்' or 'க்கள்'.

For plural formation in inanimate nouns, the suffix may vary according to the last letter of the singular form. Here are some examples:

Tamil	Pronunciation	English
கடல்	kaṭal	Sea
கடல்கள்	kaṭalkaḷ	Seas
மரம்	maram	Tree
மரங்கள்	maramkaḷ	Trees
பார்	pār	Train
பார்கள்	pārkaḷ	Trains

In this category, the plural suffix usually ends with 'கள்' or 'க்கள்'.

Pronouns

In Tamil, plural pronouns are used to represent two or more persons or things. The plural pronouns in Tamil are as follows:

Tamil	Pronunciation	English
நமது	namatu	Our
உங்கள்	uṅkaḷ	Your
அவர்கள்	avarkaḷ	Their

To use these pronouns in plural, one can simply add them to the corresponding singular pronoun.

Adjectives

In Tamil grammar, adjectives are formed by adding a suffix to the root word. Some common examples of adjectives are:

Tamil	Pronunciation	English
நல்ல	nalla	Good
சிறிய	ciṟiya	Small
பொறுப்பான	poṟuppāṉ	Poor

The plural form of adjectives is generally formed by adding the plural suffix to the root word. For example:

Tamil	Pronunciation	English
நல்லவைகள்	nallavaikaḷ	Good things
சிறியவைகள்	ciṟiyavaikaḷ	Small things
பொறுப்பானவர்கள்	poṟuppāṉavarkaḷ	Poor people

As you can see from the examples above, the plural suffix for adjectives is 'வைகள்' or 'வர்கள்'.

Numerals

In Tamil, numerals are used to represent the quantity of the noun. The plural form of numerals is typically formed by adding the plural suffix to the numeral. Here are some examples:

Tamil	Pronunciation	English
ஒரு	oru	One
ஒருபோதும்	orupōtum	Always
இரண்டும்	iraṇṭum	Two
மூன்றும்	mūṉṟum	Three
முன்னேறிய	muṉṉēṟiya	Ahead
நான்கும்	nāṉkum	Four

As you can see from the examples above, the plural suffix for numerals is 'ம்' or 'கள்'.

Dialogue

To help you see the use of plural forms in context, here is a dialogue:

• Person 1: நீங்கள் ஒரு குழந்தையைக் காணுகிறீர்களா? (Nīṅkaḷ oru kuḻantaiyai kāṇukirīrkaḷā?) (Are you seeing a child?)
• Person 2: எனக்கு எந்த குழந்தைகளும் இருக்கவில்லை. (Eṉakku endha kuḻantaikaḷum irukkavillai.) (I don't have any children.)

Here are more examples:

• Person 1: உங்கள் பொழுது நீ யாரை சந்திக்கிறீர்கள்? (Uṅkaḷ poḻutu nī yārai sandhikkirīrkaḷ?) (Who are you meeting in your free time?)
• Person 2: நாங்கள் குழந்தைகளுடன் சேருவோம். (Nāṅkaḷ kuḻantaikaḷuṭaṉ cēruvōm.) (We join with children.)

Conclusion

In this lesson, we explored the concept of plurals in Tamil. It is essential to understand the formation of plurals to express yourself correctly in Tamil. Feel free to use the examples we provided, and to experiment with creating your sentences with plurals.

To learn more about Tamil grammar, make sure you check out Tamil Grammar on Polyglot Club. Additionally, don't forget to find native speakers and ask them any questions. Practice is vital to master the language! 😃

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Sources

• Tamil language
• Tamil grammar
• Tamil numerals