-e (Plural)

Plurals with -e

Level 1

To talk about more than one thing, most nouns add -e: boek → boeke (books), hond → honde (dogs).

How It Works

Add -e. Many nouns, and especially short one-syllable nouns, add -e:

  • boek → boeke (books)
  • hond → honde (dogs)
  • dier → diere (animals)
  • huis → huise (houses)
  • stoel → stoele (chairs)
  • vriend → vriende (friends)
  • skoen → skoene (shoes)
  • koei → koeie (cows)

The articles. Die is the same for one or many: die boek, die boeke. 'n has no plural form, so you leave it out: 'n hond (a dog), honde (dogs).

Watch the spelling. The ending is still -e, but adding it can change the spelling or the sound of the word: kat → katte, boom → bome (plural spelling changes) and dag → dae (plural sound changes).

Not every noun takes -e. Many nouns take -s instead (tafel → tafels), a few take -ers (kind → kinders), and some are irregular. When you learn a new noun, learn its plural with it.

After a number. A countable noun is plural after a number from two up: twee honde, drie boeke.

Examples (6)

  1. Ek het drie boeke.

    I have three books.

    Word by Word: I have three books.

    Boek adds -e: boeke.

  2. Die honde speel in die tuin.

    The dogs are playing in the garden.

    Word by Word: The dogs play in the garden.

    Die stays the same in the plural.

  3. Daar is baie diere in die park.

    There are many animals in the park.

    Word by Word: There is many animals in the park.

    Dier becomes diere.

  4. Die huise in ons straat is klein.

    The houses in our street are small.

    Word by Word: The houses in our street is small.

  5. My vriende kom vanaand kuier.

    My friends are coming to visit tonight.

    Word by Word: My friends come tonight visit.

  6. Waar is my skoene?

    Where are my shoes?

    Word by Word: Where is my shoes?

Common Mistakes

  • Adding the English -s to a noun that takes -e.

    Ek het drie boeks.
    Ek het drie boeke.

    Boek takes -e, not -s. Most short nouns like boek, hond and huis take -e.

  • Leaving the noun singular after a number.

    Ek het twee hond.
    Ek het twee honde.

    A countable noun after twee, drie and so on is plural: twee honde.

How It Connects

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

-e (Plural)Level 1Plurals with -e

Learn This First

Plurals use die just like singular nouns, so learn die first.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-e