Measure Words After Numbers

Level 2

After a number, units stay singular: twee jaar, drie uur, tien rand, twee keer. Ordinary nouns take the plural: twee boeke, drie dae.

How It Works

1. Units that stay singular. After a number, these words do not take a plural ending:

  • Time: twee jaar (two years), drie uur (three hours), twee keer or twee maal (twice)
  • Money: tien rand, vyftig sent
  • Measures: vyf kilogram, twee liter, honderd meter, tien kilometer

A trick to remember the time words: jaar, uur and keer all end in r.

2. Time words that take the plural. Dag, week, maand, minuut and sekonde follow the normal plural rules: drie dae, twee weke, ses maande, vyf minute, tien sekondes. See plural sound changes for dae.

3. Other nouns take the plural. Things you count one by one use the plural as usual: twee boeke, drie kinders. See plurals with -e and plurals with -s.

4. Without an exact number. With baie, or with no number at all, the unit words take the plural: baie jare gelede (many years ago), ure lank (for hours), miljoene rande (millions of rand). 'n Paar works like a number, so the unit stays singular: 'n paar jaar gelede (a few years ago), 'n paar keer (a few times).

Tip: Containers are not units, so they take the plural: twee koppies tee, drie bottels melk. See measure noun + noun.

Examples (6)

  1. Ek woon al twee jaar in Kaapstad.

    I have lived in Cape Town for two years.

    Word by Word: I live already two year in Cape Town.

    Jaar stays singular after a number.

  2. Die rit duur drie uur.

    The drive takes three hours.

    Word by Word: The drive lasts three hour.

  3. Die brood kos tien rand.

    The bread costs ten rand.

    Word by Word: The bread costs ten rand.

  4. Ek het die fliek al twee keer gesien.

    I have already seen the film twice.

    Word by Word: I have the film already two time seen.

  5. Koop asseblief twee liter melk.

    Please buy two litres of milk.

    Word by Word: Buy please two litre milk.

  6. Wag net vyf minute.

    Just wait five minutes.

    Word by Word: Wait just five minutes.

    Minuut is not a unit that stays singular, so it takes the plural: minute.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting jaar in the plural after a number.

    My broer is twee jare oud.
    My broer is twee jaar oud.

    After a number, jaar stays singular.

  • Putting rand in the plural after a number.

    Die koeldrank kos tien rande.
    Die koeldrank kos tien rand.

    Money units stay singular after a number: tien rand, vyftig sent.

  • Keeping minuut singular after a number.

    Ek is oor vyf minuut daar.
    Ek is oor vyf minute daar.

    Minuut is not one of the words that stay singular. After a number it takes the plural, minute.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Measure Words After NumbersLevel 2

Learn This First

Measure words stay singular after a number.

Words in This Pattern

jaarkeer