Language/Xhosa/Grammar/Plurals

Xhosa Grammar - Plurals

Hi Xhosa learners!😊
Learning Xhosa Grammar is an exciting journey! In this lesson, we will focus on the formation of plurals in Xhosa.

Formation of Plurals

In Xhosa, there are two ways to form plurals: by adding a suffix or by reduplication.

Suffix

The most common way to form plurals in Xhosa is by adding a suffix. The suffix used depends on the noun class of the word. For example, the suffix for nouns in class 1 is -ntu, so the plural of umntu (person) is abantu (people).

• Class 1: -ntu
• Class 2: -izi
• Class 3: -e
• Class 4: -i
• Class 5: -a
• Class 6: -o

Reduplication

Another way to form plurals in Xhosa is by reduplication. This means repeating the word with a slight change in pronunciation. For example, the plural of intloko (head) is izintloko (heads).

Examples

Here are some examples of plurals formed using the suffix and reduplication methods:

• umntu (person) → abantu (people)
• intloko (head) → izintloko (heads)
• ubhokisi (box) → izibhokisi (boxes)
• umfazi (woman) → amaziyo (women)
• umthakathi (thief) → amathakathi (thieves)

Practice

Now it's time to practice! Try forming the plurals of the following words:

• umkhulu (chief)
• umlomo (mouth)
• umuntu (person)
• umlilo (fire)

Scroll down for the answers.

Amakhulu (chiefs), izimlomo (mouths), abantu (people), izimlilo (fires).

Conclusion

We have now learned how to form plurals in Xhosa. Remember that you can use the suffix method or the reduplication method, depending on the noun class of the word.

If you want to improve your Xhosa Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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