Množina: The plural
So far it has always been about one thing: one grad, one kuća. In this lesson you learn the plural (množina). The ending depends on the gender from lesson 2, one more reason to learn the gender right away.
The rules at a glance
| Gender | Singular ends in | Plural | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | Ø | + i | student → studenti |
| feminine | -a | -e | kuća → kuće |
| neuter | -o / -e | -a | selo → sela, more → mora |
Ø = no ending: the word simply ends in a consonant (student).
Masculine: + i
Masculine words end in a consonant. In the plural you add -i.
- student → studentistudents
- prozor → prozoriwindows
- telefon → telefoniphones
- krevet → krevetibeds
- prijatelj → prijateljifriends
- učitelj → učiteljiteachers
With words ending in -k, the k turns into a c: liječnik → liječnici (doctors). It is easier to say that way.
Feminine: -a becomes -e
Feminine words ending in -a get -e in the plural.
- kuća → kućehouses
- žena → ženewomen
- knjiga → knjigebooks
- riba → ribefish
- olovka → olovkepencils
- torba → torbebags
Neuter: -o or -e becomes -a
Neuter words get -a. Careful: a plural like sela ends in -a, but it is not a feminine singular.
- selo → selavillages
- pismo → pismaletters
- jezero → jezeralakes
- more → moraseas
- polje → poljafields
- jaje → jajaeggs
Exception: short masculine words take + ovi / + evi
This is an exception to the rule for masculine words: short masculine words (usually one syllable) do not simply take -i, but a longer ending.
Not every short word does this: zub → zubi. So simply learn the plural along with short words.
- grad → gradovicities
- brod → brodoviboats
- stol → stolovitables
- sat → satoviclocks, hours
- vlak → vlakovitrains
- nož → noževiknives
Exception: irregular plurals
A few very common words follow no rule at all and have their own plural. Simply learn these by heart. djeca and braća end in -a, but they are plural: Djeca su tamo.
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| čovjek | ljudi | people |
| dijete | djeca | children |
| oko | oči | eyes |
| uho | uši | ears |
| brat | braća | brothers |
Plural = su
When it is about more than one, you use su instead of je, just like with oni, one, ona in lesson 4.
- Kuća je ovdje. → Kuće su ovdje.The house is here. → The houses are here.
- Gdje je student? → Gdje su studenti?Where is the student? → Where are the students?
- To je selo. → To su sela.That is a village. → Those are villages.
And after a number?
In lesson 6 you saw dva grada and dvije knjige. After 2, 3 and 4 you use a separate form, not the normal plural: so not dva gradovi. You will learn why later, with the cases. For now it is enough to know the difference.
Do you see a word ending in -a and wonder whether it is a feminine singular or a neuter plural? Look at the verb: Selo je tamo, but Sela su tamo.
Finished this lesson? Tick it off and it will show up in your progress (you need an account for that).