Language/Bengali/Grammar/Plurals

Bengali Grammar - Plurals

Hi Bengali learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be learning about plurals in Bengali. Knowing how to form plurals is important when communicating with native speakers. We will also learn some cultural information along the way. So, let's get started!

Introduction

Plurals are an important aspect of any language. The rules for plurals vary from language to language, and Bengali is no different. In Bengali, forming plurals is relatively easy once you understand the rules. Plurals are used to refer to more than one of something and are important when making requests or stating preferences.

Regular Plurals

Most Bengali nouns form their plurals simply by adding the suffix -গুলি (-guli) to the singular form of the noun. For example the word পতাকা (pôtaka, 'book') becomes পতাকাগুলি (pôtakaguli, 'books') in plural form.

Bengali	Pronunciation	English
সেবা	sheba	service
সেবাগুলি	shebaguli	services
ফুল	phul	flower
ফুলগুলি	phulguli	flowers

Irregular Plurals

There are some irregular plurals in Bengali that do not follow the rule of adding -গুলি (-guli) to the singular form of the noun. Here are some examples:

Bengali	Pronunciation	English
লোক	lok	person/people
ভাই	bhai	brother/brothers
বোন	bon	sister/sisters
শিশু	shishu	child/children
গরু	goru	cow/cattle
ঘোড়া	ghora	horse/horses

Counting in Bengali

Before we dive into the more complex grammar rules related to plurals, let's take a moment to look at counting in Bengali. Knowing how to count in Bengali will be very useful when we start forming plurals.

Bengali	Transliteration	English
শুন্য	shunno	zero
এক	ek	one
দুই	dui	two
তিন	tin	three
চার	char	four
পাঁচ	pach	five
ছয়	shoy	six
সাত	shat	seven
আট	at	eight
নয়	nôy	nine
দশ	dosh	ten

Changing Vowels and Consonants

Not all Bengali nouns form their plurals by simply adding -গুলি (-guli) at the end. Some require a change in the vowels of the noun, while others require a change in consonants. Here are some examples:

Changing Vowels

When the vowel of the noun changes, the plural form is formed by adding -গুলো (-gulo) at the end of the plural word. This is similar to adding -গুলি (-guli) but with a different vowel sound.

Person 1: আমি একটি হলুদ ফল খাই। (ami ekṭi holud fol khai, "I eat a yellow fruit.") Person 2: আপনি কতগুলো হলুদ ফল খাইছেন? (apni kotgulo holud fol khaichen?, "How many yellow fruits do you eat?")

Bengali	Pronunciation	English
গর্ত (gôrt)	garte	pit
গর্তগুলো (gôrtgulo)	gartegulo	pits
কুকুর (kukur)	kukur	dog
কুকুরগুলো (kukurgulo)	kukurgulo	dogs

Changing Consonants

In some cases, the consonant in the noun changes in the plural form. This is often the case with words that end in -টি (-ṭi), -ডি (-ḍi), -দি (-di), -পি (-pi) -ং (-ng), -শ (sh), -ষ (sh), -ক (k), and -ত (t).

Person 1: আমি একটি কলম লিখছি। (ami ekṭi kolom likhchi, "I am writing a pen.") Person 2: আপনি কতটি কলম লিখছেন? (apni kotṭi kolom likhchen?, "How many pens are you writing?")

Bengali	Pronunciation	English
গাছ (gachh)	gachh	tree
গাছগুলো (gachhgulo)	gachhgulo	trees
হাত (hat)	hat	hand
হাতগুলো (hatgulo)	hatgulo	hands

Cultural Tips

Bengali is a language that is very rich in culture and tradition. In Bengali culture, using the plural form of a word can sometimes be seen as a sign of respect. For example, when speaking with elders or addressing a group of people, it is common to use the plural form of a noun instead of the singular.

Practice Dialogue

Person 1: আমি দুটি কলম কিনতে চাই। (ami duiti kolom kinote chai, "I want to buy two pens.") Person 2: হ্যাঁ, কলমগুলো কোথায়? (hyan, kolomgulo kothay?, "Yes, where are the pens?") Person 1: ওদের বাম পাশে আছে। (oder bam pase ache, "They are on their left.") Person 2: মুহূর্ত, আমি দেখে আসি। (muhurt, ami dekhe asi, "One moment, let me check.") Person 2: হ্যাঁ, দুটি কলম আছে। (hyan, duiti kolom ache, "Yes, there are two pens.")

Conclusion

Forming plurals in Bengali is relatively easy. Most Bengali nouns form their plurals by adding -গুলি (-guli) to the singular form of the noun. There are some irregular plurals that are exceptions to this rule. Counting in Bengali is also important when forming plurals. Remember that in Bengali culture, using the plural form of a word can sometimes show respect. Keep practicing with native speakers to improve your skills!

➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Bengali language
• Bengali grammar
• Culture of Bangladesh
• Bangladesh

Related Lessons

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