's (Plural)

Plurals with 'S

Level 2

foto → foto's · taxi → taxi's · menu → menu's · ma → ma's · but ouma → oumas, kamera → kameras

How It Works

Add 's

  • After a final i, o or u: taxi's, foto's, radio's, video's, kilo's, menu's.
  • After a stressed a: ma's, pa's.
  • After letters and abbreviations: TV's, a's.

Add -s with no apostrophe

  • After an unstressed a: ouma → oumas, oupa → oupas, padda → paddas, kamera → kameras. The stress in these words falls on an earlier syllable.
  • After ie or a diphthong: meisie → meisies, leeu → leeus.
  • After a double vowel or a vowel with a mark: kafee → kafees, relê → relês.

Why the apostrophe?
Afrikaans spelling reads a single vowel as short when a consonant closes its syllable. The apostrophe keeps foto's sounding like foto plus s. See Long Vowels: One Letter or Two.

The diminutives of these words use the same apostrophe, as in foto'tjie. See Diminutive -tjie. Nouns ending in other letters take -s or -e without an apostrophe.

Examples (6)

  1. Ek het baie foto's geneem.

    I took lots of photos.

    Word by Word: I have many photos taken.

  2. Die taxi's wag by die stasie.

    The taxis are waiting at the station.

    Word by Word: The taxis wait at the station.

  3. Die kinders se ma's wag by die skoolhek.

    The children's moms are waiting at the school gate.

    Word by Word: The children their moms wait at the school gate.

    Ma is a single stressed syllable, so its plural is ma's.

  4. Hy verkoop ou radio's.

    He sells old radios.

    Word by Word: He sells old radios.

  5. Albei my oumas woon in die Kaap.

    Both my grandmothers live in the Cape.

    Word by Word: Both my grandmas live in the Cape.

    Ouma is stressed on ou-, so its final a is unstressed and takes -s without an apostrophe.

  6. Die kameras in die winkel is duur.

    The cameras in the shop are expensive.

    Word by Word: The cameras in the shop are expensive.

    Kamera ends in an unstressed a, so the plural is kameras.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the apostrophe after a final o.

    Ek het baie fotos geneem.
    Ek het baie foto's geneem.

    Nouns ending in a single o add 's. The apostrophe keeps the o long.

  • Adding an apostrophe after an unstressed a.

    Albei my ouma's kom kuier.
    Albei my oumas kom kuier.

    Only a stressed final a takes 's, as in ma's. Ouma is stressed on the first syllable, so it takes plain -s.

  • Adding an apostrophe after ie.

    Die meisie's speel netbal.
    Die meisies speel netbal.

    Words ending in ie take plain -s. The apostrophe is only for a single final i, o, u or stressed a.

How It Connects

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

's (Plural)Level 2Plurals with 'S

Learn This First

Nouns ending in some single vowels add 's, a special case of the -s plural.

Words in This Pattern

-s