Language/Croatian/Grammar/Plurals
Hi Croatian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will explore the plural form of nouns in the Croatian language. To improve your Croatian Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
Introduction
Before we dive into the plural form of nouns, let's first clarify what exactly the noun is. A noun is a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, things, or ideas. In the Croatian language, nouns have a gender (either masculine, feminine, or neutral) and can be either singular or plural.
To form the plural in Croatian, we add a suffix to the noun. The suffixes are determined by the gender of the noun and whether it ends in a consonant or a vowel. Let's explore this concept in more detail.
Plural Suffixes
Masculine Nouns
In Croatian grammar, masculine nouns can end in a consonant or the letter -a. If the word ends in -a, we will remove it and replace it with -i to form the plural.
| Croatian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| pas | /pas/ | dog |
| grad | /grad/ | city |
| drvo | /dr̩vo/ | tree |
| stol | /stol/ | table |
If the word ends in a consonant, we will add -(o)vi or -(e)vi to form the plural, depending on the final consonant. - If the final consonant is a hard consonant (b, c, d, đ, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, š, t, v, z, ž), we add -(o)vi. - If the final consonant is a soft consonant (č, ć, đ, j, lj, nj, š, ž), we add -(e)vi.
| Croatian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| pas | /pas/ | dog |
| grad | /grad/ | city |
| glas | /ɡlas/ | voice |
| list | /list/ | leaf |
| zub | /zub/ | tooth |
Feminine Nouns
In Croatian grammar, feminine nouns typically end in -a, -ija or -ost. To form the plural, we add -e or -i, depending on the type of noun. - If the word ends in -a, we replace it with -e to form the plural. - If the word ends in -ija, we replace it with -ije to form the plural. - If the word ends in -ost, we replace it with -osti to form the plural.
| Croatian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| pjesma | /pjɛsma/ | song |
| knjiga | /knjiga/ | book |
| trgovina | /trɡovina/ | store |
| žena | /ʒɛna/ | woman |
Neuter Nouns
In Croatian grammar, neuter nouns typically end in -o, -e or -će. To form the plural, we add -a or -i, depending on the type of noun. - If the word ends in -o or -e, we replace it with -a to form the plural. - If the word ends in -će, we replace it with -ća to form the plural.
| Croatian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| jaje | /jaːjɛ/ | egg |
| pero | /pɛro/ | feather |
| lice | /lit͡sɛ/ | face |
| dijete | /dijɛ̌tɛ/ | child |
Irregular Plurals
As with any language, there are some exceptions to these rules. Here are some examples of words with irregular plurals:
| Croatian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| čovjek | /t͡ʃɔ̌vjɛk/ | man |
| konj | /kôɲ/ | horse |
| noć | /nɔ̂t͡ɕ/ | night |
| oko | /ɔkɔ/ | eye |
Plural Dialogue
To help you see plurals in context, here is a dialogue between two friends:
- Person 1: Koliko knjiga imaš? (/kɔ̌likɔ knjigà imàʃ?/) (How many books do you have?)
- Person 2: Imam tri knjige. (/imàm tr̩i knjìɡɛ/) (I have three books.)
Conclusion
Congratulations, you have now learned how to form plural nouns in the Croatian language! By practicing this grammar rule and conversing with native Croatian speakers, you'll soon find yourself using plurals with ease. Don't forget to visit the Polyglot Club website to improve your language skills and find native speakers to practice the language with.
➡ 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