Plural-Only Nouns

Level 3Sounds Like nazoŭníkí tolʹkí množnaga líku

Дзверы can mean one door or several doors, but it is always grammatically plural: Дзверы адчыненыя (The door is open). Words that agree with it take plural forms.

How It Works

1. Common plural-only nouns with their genitive:

  • дзверы (door) → дзвярэй
  • акуляры (glasses) → акуляраў
  • грошы (money) → грошай
  • нажніцы (scissors) → нажніцаў
  • суткі (a day and night, 24 hours) → сутак
  • канікулы (school or university holidays) → канікул

2. Agreement is always plural. Adjectives, possessives and verbs use plural forms: мае акуляры, новыя дзверы, Грошы скончыліся (The money has run out).

3. Counting. For one item, use the plural адны: адны дзверы, адны акуляры (see the numeral адзін). For two to four, use a collective numeral with the genitive plural: двое сутак (see collective numerals).

4. Do not copy English. Some of these words are singular in English (door, money), so English is no guide. Learn them as plural words.

Note: дзверы has several instrumental forms, all correct: дзвярамі, дзвярыма, дзвярмі.

Examples (6)

  1. Дзверы адчыненыя.

    The door is open.

    One door, but the adjective is plural.

  2. Дзе мае акуляры?

    Where are my glasses?

    Мае is plural to match акуляры.

  3. У мяне няма грошай.

    I have no money.

    Няма takes the genitive plural грошай.

  4. Дай мне, калі ласка, нажніцы.

    Please pass me the scissors.

    Accusative нажніцы, the same as the nominative.

  5. Мы былі ў Гродне двое сутак.

    We spent two days in Hrodna.

    A collective numeral with the genitive plural сутак.

  6. Летнія канікулы пачынаюцца ў чэрвені.

    The summer holidays start in June.

    The adjective and the verb are plural.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a singular adjective with a plural-only noun.

    Дзверы адчыненая.
    Дзверы адчыненыя.

    Дзверы is always plural, so the adjective takes the plural ending -ыя.

  • Inventing a singular form when you mean one pair of glasses.

    Дзе мой акуляр?
    Дзе мае акуляры?

    Акуляры meaning glasses has no singular, so one pair is still мае акуляры. The word акуляр is a different noun: the eyepiece of an optical instrument.

  • Using a singular verb.

    Грошы скончылася.
    Грошы скончыліся.

    The verb agrees with the plural noun грошы.

How It Connects

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

Plural-Only NounsLevel 3

Learn This First

Plural-only nouns need the genitive plural.

Words in This Pattern

дзверыакулярыгрошынажніцысуткіканікулы