Language/Spanish/Grammar/Plurals
Hi Spanish learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on Spanish plurals. Plurals are essential in any language as they allow us to refer to more than one thing at the same time. Spanish has some specific rules that determine how to form plurals. After reading this lesson, you will be able to identify when a word is singular or plural in Spanish and form plurals correctly. Don't forget to practice with native speakers on Polyglot Club - Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
Forming plurals in Spanish
In Spanish, we usually form plurals by adding an "s" at the end of the word. For example, "gato" (cat) becomes "gatos" (cats). This is similar to English. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, as we will see below.
Words that end in a vowel
Nouns that end in a vowel usually take an "s" at the end to form the plural. For example:
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| casa | /'ka.sa/ | house (singular) |
| casas | /'ka.sas/ | houses (plural) |
| mano | /'ma.no/ | hand (singular) |
| manos | /'ma.nos/ | hands (plural) |
Words that end in a consonant
Nouns that end in a consonant generally take "-es" at the end to form the plural. For example:
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| perro | /'per.ro/ | dog (singular) |
| perros | /'per.ros/ | dogs (plural) |
| mujer | /mu.'xer/ | woman (singular) |
| mujeres | /mu.'xe.res/ | women (plural) |
Words that end in -z
Nouns that end in -z usually change the -z to -c and add "-es" to form the plural. For example:
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| luz | /'lus/ | light (singular) |
| luces | /'lu.ses/ | lights (plural) |
| pez | /'pes/ | fish (singular) |
| peces | /'pe.ses/ | fish (plural) |
Words with an accent
Nouns that are stressed on the last syllable in the singular form drop the accent in the plural form. For example:
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| sofá | /so.'fa/ | sofa (singular) |
| sofás | /so.'fas/ | sofas (plural) |
| canción | /kan.'θjon/ | song (singular) |
| canciones | /kan.'θjo.nes/ | songs (plural) |
Irregular plurals
Some Spanish nouns have irregular plurals. You will need to memorize these:
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| hombre | /'om.bre/ | man (singular) |
| hombres | /'om.bres/ | men (plural) |
| niño | /'ni.ɲo/ | boy (singular) |
| niños | /'ni.ɲos/ | boys (plural) |
| mujer | /mu.'xer/ | woman (singular) |
| mujeres | /mu.'xe.res/ | women (plural) |
| pie | /'pje/ | foot (singular) |
| pies | /'pjes/ | feet (plural) |
Compound nouns
Compound nouns are formed by combining two or more words to create a new noun. In Spanish, the plural usually only applies to the main noun in the compound. For example:
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| lavaplatos | /la.βa.'pla.tos/ | dishwasher (singular) |
| lavaplatos | /la.βa.'pla.tos/ | dishwashers (plural) |
| abrelatas | /a.'βre.'la.tas/ | can opener (singular) |
| abrelatas | /a.'βre.'la.tas/ | can openers (plural) |
Practice conversation
- Person 1: ¿Tienes un perro? (Do you have a dog?)
- Person 2: Sí, tengo tres perros. (Yes, I have three dogs.)
- Person 1: ¡Qué lindo! (How cute!)
- Person 2: Sí, son muy juguetones. (Yes, they are very playful.)
Conclusion
In this lesson, we have learned about Spanish plurals. Remember, most of the time, to form a plural in Spanish, you simply add "s" to the end of the singular form. However, there are some important exceptions to this rule. 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
Videos
Singular and Plural Nouns in Spanish: Rules and Examples ...
Plurals in Spanish + S or ES???? - YouTube
PLURAL Nouns In Spanish | Learn Spanish Grammar - YouTube
3 Ways of Making Plurals in Spanish. Plurales en español. || Lección ...
Spanish for Beginners: Plural Form of Spanish Nouns - YouTube